Evacuation alert issued due to Summit Lake wildfire

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The wildfire 10 kilometres northeast of Summit Lake as seen from above. (BCWS)

Update, June 2nd, 5 p.m.: After briefly reopening Highway 97 (Alaska Highway), it has since been closed again.

FORT NELSON, B.C. — An evacuation alert has been issued due to the Summit Lake wildfire.

The blaze, which has burned 2,125 hectares since it was discovered on May 28th, is about 10 kilometres northeast of the lake.

An incident management team from BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is currently tackling the fire, which has closed the Alaska Highway between the Highway 77 junction to the Toad River.

There is currently no detour in place, according to DriveBC.

Residents who live in the Tetsa River area are being told to prepare to evacuate by the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM):

To the Steamboat Mountain brake check (mile 333, kilometre 536 on the Alaska Highway), at a northeast point (58°42’2.23″N, 124°39’43.41″W) to a southeast point (58°38’16.21″N, 124°39’40.50″W).
Along the Alaska Highway corridor from Summit Lake campground within Stone Mountain Provincial Park (mile 392, kilometre 630 on the Alaska Highway).
From a northwest point (58°42’2.38″N, 123°45’29.44″W) to a southwest point (58°38’43.58″N 123°45’30.02″W).

The evacuation alert is for the Tetsa River area, highlighted yellow above. (NRRM)

A NRRM press release on June 2nd reads: “An evacuation alert has been issued to prepare you to evacuate your premises or property should it be found necessary.

“Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however, you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.”

The NRRM urged residents to locate their family members and designate a meeting area outside the evacuation area, pack all essential items such as government ID and medications, arrange transportation and fill the gas tanks of personal vehicles, and pre-arrange accommodation if possible.

People should not evacuate until told to do so, it added.

This comes after Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for Fort Nelson, Muncho Lake Park and Stone Mountain Park to warn about smoke from wildfires raging in the region.

The BCWS is tackling various blazes in the Fort Nelson zone, including one near Etcho Creek which has grown to 73,221 hectares.

This story is being updated as more information becomes available.