UPDATE 2: Evacuation Alerts and Orders Issued in the Bulkley-Nechako, As Dozens of New Wildfires Pop Up Across the Northwest

More evacuation alerts and orders have been issued as the number of active wildfires in the Province has ballooned to nearly 180.

A 6 hectare fire 15 kilometres west of Fraser Lake along Highway 16, south of Tatin Lake is prompting an evacuation alert.

A new evacuation order has been put in place for properties in Telkwa west of the river, off Tatlow Road, due to the 20 hectare Powers Creek fire (with evacuation information at this link).

Meanwhile, the Big Creek fire in the Omineca Provincial Park has grown to 44,000 hectares and is still prompting an evacuation order and alerts.

Two other fires of note are burning east of Burns Lake, though neither are prompting evacuation orders or alerts at this time.

They cover 8 hectares along Sheraton Creek, and 4 hectares near Stearns Creek, both north of the Highway in Tintagel.

Dozens of smaller, predominantly lightning caused, blazes have popped up along Highway 16 in the Northwest Fire Centre.

All are listed as out of control, though none are posing enough of a threat to issue evacuation alerts as of yet.

A number of fires are also burning south of the highway, including a cluster of sub-one hectare blazes south of Kitamaat Village.

With 34 active wildfires, the Northwest Centre now has the second most among any, trailing only the Prince George Fire Centre’s 89.

Those are prompting evacuation orders and alerts of their own, with more details on each available at this link.

2023 is already the third worst wildfire season in BC’s history, and with the lightning season just kicking off, it doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.

Fire Danger ratings are currently set to at least high across the Northwest Fire Centre, jumping to extreme north of the Iskut River, south of Telkwa, and in a patch between Cedarvale and Gitsegukla.

Category two and three open burns are banned across BC, and campfires are banned across the North, aside from the Skeena and Haida Gwaii Fire Zones.

Fire in Tintagel, east of Burns Lake

Fire east of Burns Lake.

Danger Ratings and Fires Further North