BCWS reports wildfire activity decrease in northern BC

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Wildfire activity so far in 2025 is down compared to the same time last year, according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).

The agency has issued a status report for the Prince George Fire Centre (PGFC) as of Thursday, October 9th, which says 340 wildfires have been reported in the region so far in 2025.

That’s a significant decrease from 2024, which saw 444 wildfires reported in the same time frame, although it’s still higher than the 10-year average of 308 blazes.

The number of hectares burned so far this year is also down to 723,609 after last year saw 803,557 burned by October 9th. However, 2025’s wildfire season has still seen significantly more hectares burned than the 10-year average of 376,039.

Decreases in wildfire activity are in line with the BCWS’ expectations as temperatures drop across the north and crews prepare to transition into their wintertime work. Despite this, staff members say they remain prepared to respond to any new blazes that crop up this fall.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, 35 fires are currently still burning in the PGFC. Only two are currently labelled as ‘out of control’: the Etcho Creek wildfire and the Liard River wildfire, both in the Fort Nelson fire zone.

Fires are considered ‘out of control’ when they’re expected to continue expanding beyond their current boundaries.

Neither wildfire’s page on the BCWS website has been updated since the summer, so their current sizes are unknown. 

As of July 22nd, the Liard River blaze had burned roughly 3,468 hectares, while the Etcho Creek fire had burned 280,461 hectares as of August 1st.

The Fort St. John fire zone is currently home to the most active wildfires, with 14 currently burning, although they’re all considered ‘under control.’

‘Under control’ wildfires are expected to remain within their current boundaries rather than expanding further.

The Fort Nelson fire zone has 13 active fires, while the Dawson Creek zone has just two.

In terms of wildfire danger ratings, the majority of the Peace region and the province as a whole is considered to be at “low to moderate” risk of wildfires, although a small pocket of the Dawson Creek fire zone is considered “high risk.”

No area restrictions are currently in effect in the Fort St. John, Dawson Creek or Fort Nelson fire zones, although there is one active area restriction in the southwestern portion of the PGFC.

Category one, two, and three open burning is also allowed across the entire PGFC as of October 7th.