The Northwest Fire Centre’s campfire ban may have been lifted due to cool, rainy weather, but firefighters in the region continue to battle to fires in the area.
The first is the ongoing battle with the forest fire seven kilometres south of the Chelaslie River.
The fire is burning directly north of the Entiako provincial park and protected area near Tweedsmuir Park and Ootsa Lake.
The forest fire, started by lightning, was discovered on July 8 and as of 9 a.m. on July 21 had burned approximately 50,000 hectares in total area.
There are currently 41 firefighters, five helicopters and 11 heavy equipment unit crews fighting the blaze, and a structural protection unit has been assigned to the fire due to the nearest structure being two kilometres away.
An evacuation notice issued by the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN) has been rescinded for the following areas: the Intata Reach at the confluence of the Uchu Reach at the Eastern boarder of the RDBN’s Electoral Area ‘E’ (Francois/Ootsa Lake Rural), to Natalkuz Road in the North, to Kluskus Forest Service Road in the East to the boundary of the RDBN’s Electoral Area ‘E’ and Electoral Area ‘D’ (Fraser Lake Rural) in the South.
A new evacuation notice has been issued by the RDBN for the area from the Southern boarder of the RDBN’s Electoral Area ‘D’ at Red Road to Erhorn Creek, north along Erhorn Creek to the Nechako Reservoir, including all land between the West and East banks of the Nechako Reservoir to Erhorn Creek and for the area from the Eastern boundary of Entiako Park to the Eastern boundary of the RDBN’s Electoral Area ‘E’, in the South to the Ootsa Forest Service Road along to the Malaput Forest Service Road to Entiako Park.
British Columbia Parks has also issued the closure of Entiako provincial park to all recreational users.
A second fire was discovered on July 14 by Eutsuk Lake. As of 9 a.m. on July 21 the fire had burned approximately 3600 hectares in the area.
Both forest fires are being fought at a modified response stage, which means that the fire is being closely monitored and allowed to burn only within set policies and management guidelines.
Firefighters are currently still patrolling the area near Takysie Lake that saw a forest fire burn approximately 43 hectares in total area at the beginning of July.
The Wildfire Management Branch requested the help of an additional 200 firefighters from outside of B.C. to help fight the fires in the province.
On Saturday, 40 firefighters from Quebec, plus 20 each from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick arrived in B.C., with Ontario supplying 120 firefighters that arrived Sunday.
These firefighters join more than 1500 provincial staff, 800 B.C. contractors and 94 out-of-province firefighters already fighting blazes across the province.
Neither Chikamin Bay Portage or Pondosy Bay Portage resorts are in any danger from the wildfires.
Both are operating normally.