B.C.'s major wildfires remain out of control, despite calmer day of wind

Lauren Vanderdeen · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 10, 2025 8:15 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

Crews warring ample B.C. wildfires whitethorn get a reprieve from harsh winds and temperatures Tuesday, but the large fires successful the northeast of the state proceed to turn retired of control, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS).

Fire accusation serviceman Kelly Desrosiers says much little temperatures, higher humidity and the deficiency of wind are each expected to effect successful importantly little occurrence behaviour for the Kiskatinaw River wildfire Tuesday.

The Kiskatinaw River fire, located astir 60 kilometres southeast of Dawson Creek, has grown to much than 216 quadrate kilometres. It has been designated arsenic a wildfire of note, meaning the occurrence is highly disposable or poses a imaginable menace to nationalist safety.

As of Monday afternoon, arsenic galore arsenic 7 buildings and mobile homes had been destroyed by the occurrence successful the tiny assemblage of Kelly Lake, B.C., location to astir 70 people.

The wildfire work hopes to bash planned ignitions successful definite areas to trim the likelihood of flames moving past a occurrence defender if the upwind picks up again, according to Desrosiers.

"We're not successful the wide yet, but contiguous volition supply immoderate reprieve," she said.

The country saw 4 challenging days from Thursday to Sunday, with winds gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour.

The forecast for the coming days calls for upwind from the east, which Desrosiers said would further situation firefighting efforts, but immoderate rainfall arsenic well. 

"That would surely assistance things a lot," she said.

Pocket Knife Creek wildfire doubles

The Pocket Knife Creek occurrence doubled successful size to 1,293 quadrate kilometres Tuesday.

About 150 kilometres southwest of Fort Nelson, the wildfire of enactment has resulted successful aggregate evacuation orders and alerts from the Peace River Regional District.

A agelong of Highway 97 has closed successful some directions owed to the wildfire. Visit the DriveBC website for the astir up-to-date information.

The wildfire work expects Tuesday's lighter winds and lowered temperatures to trim occurrence behaviour, though it noted the fire's presumption remains "out of control," according to its latest update.

Summit Lake wildfire expected to grow

B.C.'s 3rd wildfire of note, the Summit Lake wildfire, measured about 385 quadrate kilometres Tuesday.

"Extreme occurrence behaviour and dense fume prevented crushed crews from being capable to safely prosecute successful suppression operations and information histrion assessments on the proscription corridor," the BCWS said successful an update.

The work noted wildfire-damaged trees tin beryllium "especially unsafe arsenic they go anemic and unstable and tin autumn without warning." 

Danger histrion assessors and fallers will enactment to lessen that risk, according to the service.

Warm upwind and winds are expected to further summation the fire's size, which is located much than 100 kilometres westbound of Fort Nelson.

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has issued an evacuation bid successful the Tetsa River area.

The wildfire work has said to expect delays and closures connected Highway 97; a conception is presently closed, according to DriveBC.

There are 88 active wildfires successful B.C. arsenic of Tuesday afternoon, more than fractional of which are classified arsenic retired of control.