Donnie Creek wildfire in northern B.C. continues to grow, with more warm, dry weather forecast
Evacuation orders, alerts issued; nearby Klua Lakes wildfire has also triggered evac orders
Several rural properties in northern B.C. have been ordered to evacuate as the Donnie Creek wildfire continues to spread.
The out-of-control wildfire was discovered May 12 southeast of Fort Nelson and is believed to have been caused by lightning.
Several fires have since merged with the Donnie Creek blaze, including the West Conroy Creek, Hockey Creek and Katah Creek fires, and it is now burning over more than 1,575 square kilometres as of Monday morning.
The Peace River Regional District's evacuation order means people in the following areas must leave their homes immediately:
- The area north of Grewatsch Creek on PDR 222.
- The area north of kilometre 44 on Tommy Lakes Road.
- The area north of kilometre 20 on PDR 204 (Beatton Airport Road).
- Extending north to the border with the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality.
Several areas in the district have also been placed under an evacuation alert.
The PRRD has issued a new Evacuation Order and Alert for the Donnie Creek/Tommy Lakes wildfires. Areas previously under Evacuation Alert #4 are now under Evacuation Order #4, and several new areas are now under Evacuation Alert #5. Visit <a href="https://t.co/CmufTaSjmI">https://t.co/CmufTaSjmI</a>. <a href="https://t.co/XZuABBN8IU">pic.twitter.com/XZuABBN8IU</a>
—@prrdistrictTherese Mickelson, with the Peace River Regional District emergency operations centre, says the areas encompassed by these orders don't have many homes and are mainly used by industries like oil and gas and forestry.
"It's more making sure that the industry operators up there are aware that they need to get out of the area," Mickelson said.
To the north, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has also issued an evacuation order for several areas, as the Klua Lakes wildfire burns out of control.
Mayor Rob Fraser says he is worried about the current dry conditions and the season ahead.
"It's burning up a pile of timber, no doubt about it," said Fraser on CBC's Radio West Monday afternoon. "It's got a lot of us on edge."
The Donnie Creek, Klua Lakes and Muskwa River wildfires make up the Donnie Creek Complex, which means all three are being handled by one B.C. Wildfire Service incident management team.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says warm, windy conditions on Saturday pushed the fire into mature black spruce trees and other fuels.
Thick columns of smoke could be seen from Highway 97 between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson.
Fire activity expected to increase
More fire activity is expected this week as sunny, dry weather persists. Environment Canada meteorologist Johnathan Bau says there is little precipitation expected for the region and any rain that may fall "won't amount to much."
Temperatures are currently below average but will rise to above average as the week progresses, Bau said, while 20-30 km/h winds are forecast, gusting to 40 km/h.
Smoke may cause poor air quality in the northeast, reducing visibility and raising health concerns, he added.
The Donnie Creek wildfire is currently the only wildfire of note in the province. A wildfire of note means it's highly visible and/or poses a threat to public safety.