Fire bans announced in B.C. and Alberta as more than 170 wildfires burn

Tactical evacuations have started in northeastern British Columbia as wildfires tear through the area.

An update from the B.C. Wildfire Service Wednesday night said efforts are focused on protecting public life and safety in the Peace River Regional District and the District of Chetywnd, which are both within the Prince George Fire Centre.

The service said the fire covering approximately 50 hectares also forced the closure of Highway 97.

This year’s wildfire season is off to an early start, with more than 170 blazes burning in British Columbia and Alberta, and both provinces issuing fire bans.

On Wednesday, the BC Wildfire Service announced a five-month open fire ban, from May 3 to Oct. 11, covering a swath of the province’s Interior.

The ban on Category 3 fires in the Kamloops fire centre will prohibit people burning three or more fires on a property at the same time, or any single fire burning a pile larger than two metres in height or three metres in width.

Grass burns bigger than 0.2 hectares will also be banned, the service said.

In addition to the Kamloops area, the bans also apply to all public and private land, as well as the Lillooet, Merritt, Vernon and Penticton fire zones.

“This prohibition is being enacted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety,” the service said.

Drought conditions still cover much of B.C., and fire officials are worried about another challenging season after last year’s record destruction, when fires scorched more than 28,000 square kilometres, destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced thousands of people.

Related: ‘Trees going up like Roman candles’ as fire season starts early in B.C., Alberta

In Alberta, wildfire officials announced Wednesday that very dry conditions had prompted a fire restriction across the province’s entire forest protection area except the Calgary forest protection zone, which remains under a fire advisory.

It means outdoor fires and fireworks are prohibited on public lands, including backcountry and random camping areas. Campfires within fire rings in campgrounds are allowed.

An emergency alert for Municipal District of Peace No. 135 in northwestern Alberta was cancelled late Wednesday, with firefighters holding the blaze that had been threatening the community.

The district said in a Facebook post that one home was seriously damaged by the fire and several outbuildings and vehicles were destroyed.

An evacuation order that involved about 30 people was expected to be lifted early Thursday.

Wildfire evacuation orders or alerts have already been imposed in both provinces, although some are now rescinded.

An evacuation order for residents near Cold Lake First Nations, about 300 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, has been rescinded.

In B.C., a wildfire evacuation alert issued in the Interior over the weekend for the tiny town of Endako has also been rescinded, while another alert for the Burgess Creek wildfire in the Cariboo remains in place, with residents told to be ready to leave on short notice.

The 1,800-hectare Burgess Creek fire about 600 kilometres north of Vancouver continues to burn out of control, according to the wildfire service website, while the 25-hectare blaze that had been threatening Endako, a further 400 kilometres northwest, has now been contained.

There have been 177 fires in B.C. this year, burning 2,055 hectares. Of the 115 now burning, 44 started in the third week of April.

In Alberta, 205 fires have burned 755 hectares this season, much higher than the five-year average for this time of year of 120 wildfires, or around 230 hectares burned. Fifty-eight fires are active.

Feature image: As British Columbia awaits the latest update due later today on fire, drought and flood conditions, residents in an area south of Kamloops can relax as all evacuation orders and alerts related to a nearby fire have ended. Trees burned by the Bush Creek East Wildfire are seen above Little Shuswap Lake in Squilax, B.C., Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck