UPDATE: Fire in Doig River area has reached 597 hectares, BCWS says

UPDATE #4 (May 14th- 11:25 a.m.) The fire has grown to 597 hectares.

UPDATE #3 ( May 13th – 7:31 p.m.,): DRFN sent out a Facebook post on Monday evening saying wind direction is allowing the fire to expand on the northern and eastern flanks away from the reserve.

UPDATE #2 (May 13th – 5:05 p.m.): BC Wildfire Service has now listed the ‘out of control’ fire at 150 hectares

UUPDATE (May 13th – 2:14 p.m.): DRFN has now issued an evacuation order for residents of the reserve. Click here for more information

ROSE PRAIRIE, B.C. — Doig River First Nation’s (DRFN) Emergency Operations Centre has released a statement providing its members with an update on the wildfire fire located just east of the reserve.

Released on Facebook Monday evening, the post says the fire continues to grow, with most of the expansion on the northern and eastern flanks away from the reserve, located 29 kilometres northeast of Rose Prairie, primarily due to the wind’s direction.

“The Wildfire Services continue to utilize the river as a break while creating new ones to slow the spread,” the statement says.

A notice to evacuate the DRFN reserve went out early Monday afternoon.

Additionally, an order from DRFN declaring a local state of emergency was issued until at least May 28th.

The fire now stands at 250 hectares and is still listed as ‘out of control,’ according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).

BCWS says the suspected cause is human activity.

Energeticcity.ca will update this story with more information as it becomes available.