Fort Nelson wildfires intensify amid extreme heat and drought

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – BC Wildfire Service is cautioning members of the public about an increase in wildfire activity in the Fort Nelson region.

On June 20th, BC Wildfire Service posted the cautionary message as a thread on their X (formerly known as Twitter) page. 

Since June 16th, fire activity in the Fort Nelson area has increased due to the lack of precipitation, especially in those areas that did not receive rainfall over the weekend.

“Even without wind, fire behaviour is intensifying and could be further amplified by windy conditions. Today [June 20], we observed increased fire behaviour due to unseasonably high temperatures,” the thread said. 

According to the thread, smoke columns from active wildfires, including the Parker Lake wildfire, can be seen from Fort Nelson and BC Highway 97. 

On June 20th, BC Wildfire Service conducted planned ignition operations to remove a pocket of unburned fuel between the fire perimeter and the Fort Nelson River. This was done to avoid uncontrolled growth to the east and spotting across the river. 

“Ongoing drought, deep-burning, and extended drying periods due to the summer solstice continue to influence fire activity and complicate suppression efforts. The presence of many compromised and fallen trees is also a challenge for response,” BC Wildfire Service wrote. 

The Parker Lake, Patry Creek, and Nogah Creek wildfires, as well as all other wildfires in the Fort Nelson region, can be monitored via BC Wildfire Service’s website. 

As of press time on June 21st, the Nogah Creek wildfire is 98,724 hectares, the Patry Creek wildfire is 67,297 hectares, and the Parker Lake Wildfire is 12,348 hectares in size. 

The Patry Creek and Parker Lake wildfires are classified as ‘under control’, while Nogah Creek is currently ‘out of control.’