Incoming weather will be key to B.C. firefight, premier says

No homes have been lost as a wildfire nudges toward the northeastern B.C. community of Fort Nelson, where the weather will play a key role in determining the fate of the firefight, Premier David Eby said Tuesday.

Approximately 4,700 people from the community and neighbouring First Nation remain under an evacuation order due to the 84-square-kilometre Parker Lake fire burning just a few kilometres west of town.

"The situation is still very fluid and very dependent on weather over the next 24 hours," Eby told reporters at an unrelated news conference, where he assuring residents that fire crews would "continue to do what is necessary to protect their homes."

An updated estimate from the B.C. Wildfire Service says the fire saw a significant increase in size since Monday, when it was mapped at about 53 square kilometres.

Forecasts are calling for wind that may blow the fire closer to Fort Nelson, which has been under an evacuation order since Friday.

Fort Nelson resident Bud Streeper posted a video update on Tuesday showing some rain falling in the area.

"Definitely not a downpour, but a steady little sprinkle right now," he said in the video.

'It's going to be unstable'

Ken Dosanjh, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the community is not likely to see significant rain over the next few days, though up to five millimetres is possible.

He said areas south of town could see up to 20 millimetres Wednesday.

"We do have a Gulf of Alaska low that's crashing into the coast as we speak, and then it's going to start to move through the Interior by Wednesday. And so for Wednesday, we're going to start to notice that low eventually make it to the northeastern parts of the province," he said Tuesday.

"As it does, it's going to be unstable, and it's going to bring some rain associated with it, and possible risk of thunderstorms. However, so far things have been fairly consistent in showing most of the precipitation will kind of lie south of Fort Nelson."

The Parker Lake fire is also contributing to woes south of the U.S. border, with smoke from it and other Canadian fires leading to health warnings across the Upper Midwest and Montana.

Fires in B.C. and Alberta filled the skies with haze over parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Sunday, lingering into Monday.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency warned residents to avoid heavy exertion outdoors in its first statewide air-quality alert of the season.

Potential health risks for some

Environment Canada has posted notices for parts of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories warning about wildfire smoke.

Forecasters say the fine particles in smoke pose health risks and are more likely to impact seniors, pregnant women, people who smoke, infants and young children, as well as those with chronic illnesses.

"Those who are more likely to be impacted should reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors or seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms," the notices say.

Several significant fires are burning across Western Canada.

A fire close to Cranberry Portage in northwest Manitoba forced about 550 residents from their homes, while a fire that prompted an evacuation alert in Fort McMurray, Alta., appeared to be holding about 16 kilometres southeast of the city.