Fish Creek forest wildfire 'not deliberately set', investigation finds

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Fire retardent being dropped onto the Fish Creek Community Forest wildfire. (Darren Hart) — Fire retardant being dropped onto the Fish Creek Community Forest wildfire in early May. (Darren Hart)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John says preliminary investigation findings on the cause of the Fish Creek Community Forest wildfire point to it being non-suspicious, and a phased re-opening of the park could happen by the coming weekend.

A statement released on the City of Fort St. John’s website on Thursday, May 8th says while the investigation remains ongoing, the fire does not appear to have been “deliberately set.”

“The city has initiated damage and safety assessments throughout the Fish Creek Community Forest and trail network,” reads the statement. “This includes a professional danger tree assessment to identify and remove hazardous trees within the impacted area.

“Trail conditions will also be reviewed during this process.”

The 56-hectare fire was first reported by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) on May 1st in the forest north of Fort St. John, prompting tactical evacuations of the area.

In addition, the Fort St. John Links Golf course, adjacent to the fire, had to temporarily shut down due to some damage, opening the next day.

BCWS currently has the fire listed as ‘under control,’ meaning it is not projected to grow beyond its current perimeter.