UPDATE: Unseasonably hot weather expected to increase fire behaviour

UPDATE: More information was added about the Cameron River wildfire.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — BC Wildfire Service anticipates fire behaviour in the region to increase due to the warming and drying trend forecasted for Friday and throughout the weekend.

From Friday to Tuesday, the area will hit temperatures reaching the mid to high 20s, while overnight and early morning lows are expected by Environment Canada to be in the low to mid-teens.

Red Creek Wildfire

There are 56 firefighters, four operational field staff, 24 pieces of heavy equipment and 33 structure protection personnel working during the day on the Red Creek wildfire, according to the incident management team assigned to the North Peace Complex.

The fire remains at approximately 2,716 hectares and is considered out of control. 

About 20 firefighters and 14 structure protection personnel have been working on the fire at night.

Crews continue small-scale hand ignitions on the fire’s east flank to remove unburnt fuel between the active fire perimeter and the established guard.

A guard is a wide path or dirt road where all fuel is removed and can be achieved by hand or by machinery for larger guards, also known as a control line.

Crews also continued hose lay and water delivery to secure the guard and set up a sprinkler line on a section of the guard where it is unsafe for crews to use direct attack methods.

On Friday, crews will use heavy equipment to construct guard on the fire’s north flank, starting in the northwest corner and working east to tie into roads used as control lines.

The 350-hectare planned ignition on the fire’s south flank Thursday afternoon was successful, according to BC Wildfire Service.

The ignition used a combination of aerial and hand ignition. Crews used heavy equipment to construct a machine guard from the southwest corner towards the Red Creek drainage in preparation for the ignition.

The ignition will remove unburnt fuels between the newly constructed guard and the fire’s edge to secure a control line.

The management team says planned ignitions are a useful and common tactic in fire suppression and management. It allows crews to bring the fire perimeter to control lines to create a continuous fire edge, making it easier for them to use direct attack methods.

Throughout the week, structure protection teams conducted assessments and set up equipment in subdivisions and properties along the north and east flanks of the fire.

Boundary Lake Wildfire

The Boundary Lake Wildfire has 34 firefighters responding to the fire on the B.C. side.

The fire is approximately 6,171 hectares and is considered out of control.

The team assigned to the fire is anticipating hot spots to pop up within the fire perimeter over the weekend, which will be actioned and extinguished during active patrols.

The team is supporting Clear Hills County on the Alberta portion of the Boundary Lake Wildfire, where the fire is most actively burning on the southeast corner.

Mop-up and patrol will continue on Friday in the gully previously worked on.

Crews will also increase patrols and venture further into the fire perimeter to extinguish any hot spots that pop up throughout the day.

Cameron River Wildfire

The Cameron River fire is out of control at approximately 310 hectares.

The Cameron River wildfire had 39 firefighters, four field operational staff and five pieces of heavy equipment.

The planned ignition was put on hold until the winds in the area are more favourable.

The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) reduced the size of the evacuation order on Tuesday for the Boundary Lake wildfire while an evacuation alert remains in place.

Areas of Red Creek are also under an evacuation order, and others are under an evacuation alert.

According to FireSmoke.ca, the Peace region will continue to see smoke throughout the next few days.

In areas with smoke, people considered at risk, including older people, children and people with lung conditions, should consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous outdoor activities if symptoms are experienced.

One wildfire has now been extinguished in the region, and approximately eight wildfires are still considered active.

For more information on the wildfires across B.C., visit the BC Wildfire Service website.