Video – Large fire breaks out at Fort St. John’s Fish Creek Community Forest

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A large fire has broken out in northern Fort St. John and 19 households have been evacuated.

The fire broke out in Fish Creek Community Forest during the afternoon of May 1st and, according to the best estimates of the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) based on aerial views, revised their earlier estimate to say the fire had burned 56 hectares.

No one has been injured and no structures are believed to have been damaged.

The fire, which is suspected to have been caused by human activity, is now moving towards where Fish Creek meets the Beatton River in a hard-to-reach ravine.

The Fort St. John Fire Department is leading on the operation, but there are also 12 BCWS personnel, two helicopters and an airtanker group at the scene, as well as crews from Charlie Lake.

North Peace Regional Airport has also deployed one of its ARFF (aircraft rescue and firefighting) trucks and a small crew to aid in the response.

Jessica Harrison, information officer at the city, said firefighters will continue to work on the flames until dark and then resume tomorrow morning (May 2nd). This is only possible because the fire has been assessed to be moving away from the community and it is safe to do so.

There are various roads reportedly blocked or partially blocked because of the fire, including Rose Prairie Road, Jones Subdivision, O’Large Roads and Cecil Lake Road (Highway 103).

The City of Fort St. John issued a warning about the fire on its website at 4:15 p.m. on May 1st.

“Fort St. John Fire Department along with mutual aid partners, including BC Wildfire, are responding to a fire in the Fish Creek Community Forest,” it reads.

“Please avoid the area and let crews work.”

The City of Fort St. John also told evacuees to go to the second floor of the Pomeroy Sport Centre to receive emergency support.

Harrison said evacuees will be provided for tonight while the firefighting work continues.

The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) has also opened its Emergency Operations Centre.

All aircraft out of Fort St. John’s airport – North Peace Regional Airport – were grounded to assist BCWS in responding to the blaze, but the airspace has now reopened.

Energeticcity.ca will update this story with new information as it becomes available.