The B.C. Wildfire Service said the evacuation of “multiple neighbourhoods” was underway in Fort Nelson late Friday, as an out-of-control wildfire threatened the town in the province’s northeast.
It said the fire was “highly visible” to the west of the town, which has a population of about 2,600, as crews battled the blaze that exploded in size late in the afternoon.
The service said the fire was being fought by groundcrews and two helicopters that were bucketing water on the blaze, and air tanker support had been requested.
It said that in addition to wildfire service firefighters, members of the local fire department and the RCMP were responding.
The service said in a social media post at 5:25 p.m. that the suspected human-caused fire was half a square kilometre in size, but by 6:30 p.m. it was listed on the service’s website as measuring four square kilometres.
The website showed the fire west of Fort Nelson, 1,600 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, and said it was expected to spread beyond current control lines.
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality said in a Facebook post that residents in the evacuation zone were to immediately muster at the town’s recreation centre and that other residents should avoid the area.
It said the evacuation zone included Walsh Road, Radar Road, Whiskey Jack Crescent and all residential areas east of Walsh Road. It extended 16 kilometres west of Fort Nelson.
The fire was fanned by a dry cold front that the wildfire service said had been expected to cross the Fort Nelson zone mid-afternoon Friday.
“While no lightning is expected during this time, wind gusts may exceed 70 kilometres per hour and shift direction rapidly,” the service had said on Thursday.
It said the conditions were “likely to contribute to continued new growth on holdover fires from the 2023 season,” but the blaze threatening Fort Nelson is a new fire, detected on Friday.
“The top priorities of the BC Wildfire Service are life, health and safety of responders and public. The Prince George Fire Centre is actively working with municipal partners, industry and other government ministries to ensure these priorities are achieved,” it said.
The service said an incident management team would assume command in the fire zone.
The closure of Highway 97 was also expected.