Kiskatinaw River wildfire evacuation order lifted in Grande Prairie county

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A planned ignition operation as part of firefighting efforts to control the Kiskatinaw River blaze. (BCWS)

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA — An evacuation order issued in the County of Grande Prairie due to the Kiskatinaw River wildfire has been lifted.

In an update issued at 5 p.m. on June 13th, the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership (GPREP) reduced its order to an alert.

This means those evacuated north of Township Road 710 to 740, east of the B.C./Alberta border to Range Road 132 in the County of Grande Prairie can return home.

However, they must be ready to leave again with just 30 minutes’ notice if necessary.

More than 100 firefighters are still tackling the Kiskatinaw River blaze, which has now burned 26,627 hectares near the community of Kelly Lake.

However, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) reports cautious optimism heading into the weekend (June 13th to June 15th), with rainfall expected to aid firefighting efforts across northeast B.C.

There have been multiple evacuation orders and alerts issued by the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) due to the Kiskatinaw River wildfire which remain in effect.

Highway 52 east is also closed between One Island Lake Road and Hiding Creek Road because of the fire. The road status can change quickly, so drivers are urged to check DriveBC before they travel.

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