Send this page to someone via email The B.C. government has now declared a provincial state of emergency due to the wildfires burning around the province. This state of emergency will be in place for 14 days but may be extended or rescinded as necessary. WATCH: The B.C. government has now declared a provincial state of emergency to support the province-wide response to the ongoing wildfire situation 3:18 Provincial state of emergency declared in B.C. due to wildfires Provincial state of emergency declared in B.C. due to wildfires – Aug 15, 2018 It applies to the whole province and ensures provincial, federal and local resources can be delivered in a co-ordinated response to protect the residents of British Columbia. Story continues below advertisement WATCH: A state of emergency is in effect in B.C. due to hundreds of wildfires burning across the province 0:59 B.C. declares state of emergency due to wildfires B.C. declares state of emergency due to wildfires – Aug 15, 2018 The state of emergency was declared by Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, based on the recommendation from B.C.’s wildfire and emergency management officials. “Public safety is always our first priority, and as wildfire activity is expected to increase, this is a progressive step in our wildfire response to make sure British Columbia has access to any and all resources necessary,” said Farnworth in a release. “Taking this step will further ensure we can protect the public, property and infrastructure, and assist with firefighting efforts.” WATCH: Nearly 9,000 British Columbians remain on edge tonight, told they may have to leave their homes on a moment’s notice as wildfires grow. Richard Zussman is near Quesnel with the latest. 3:29 Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires – Aug 14, 2018 READ MORE: Special air quality statement ends for most of the province after days of smoky conditions Story continues below advertisement As of Aug. 14, there were 566 wildfires burning in B.C., with 29 evacuation orders affecting approximately 3,050 people (1,521 properties), in addition to 48 evacuation alerts impacting approximately 18,720 people (9,359 properties). Currently, the province says more than 3,372 firefighters and contractors are actively engaged in fighting fires in all fire regions of the province. This includes 1,427 B.C. contract personnel, as well as 436 out-of-province personnel from Alberta, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Parks Canada, Australia, Mexico and New Zealand. The federal government is also sending personnel and resources, which will be arriving in B.C. in the next few days. Coverage of the wildfires around B.C. on Globalnews.ca Story continues below advertisement “Given the unpredictable behaviour of wildfires and the number of significant wildfires in all areas of the province, we’re bringing in the additional resources we need to keep people and communities as safe as possible,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “We’re asking British Columbians to do their part and follow burning bans and restrictions to prevent human-caused fires.” WATCH: B.C. declares state of emergency 2:34 Wildfires force B.C. to declare province wide state of emergency Wildfires force B.C. to declare province wide state of emergency – Aug 15, 2018 The state of emergency gives agencies, such as the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Emergency Management BC, the fire commissioner and the RCMP, the authority to take every action necessary to fight the wildfires and protect people and communities. Last year, the province was in a provincial state of emergency for 10 weeks, from July 7 to Sept. 15. Story continues below advertisement The last provincial declaration of a state of emergency due to the wildfires before the 2017 wildfire season was issued in August 2003.<doc-sep>Share this Story: B.C. Wildfires Map 2018: Updates on fire locations, evacuation alerts/orders B.C. Wildfires Map 2018: Updates on fire locations, evacuation alerts/orders The latest information on wildfires burning in British Columbia Article content Wildfires of note We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or B.C. Wildfires Map 2018: Updates on fire locations, evacuation alerts/orders Back to video The B.C. Wildfire Service says wildfires of note are wildfires which are highly visible or which pose a potential threat to public safety. In the KAMLOOPS FIRE CENTRE Last updated on Aug. 29, 2018. COOL CREEK Status: Active and out of control Description: A 143-square kilometre fire burning 20 km northeast of Eastgate. The steep terrain is inoperable in some areas, and poses a safety risk to firefighting personnel. An evacuation alert is in effect. Cause: Lightning GROUSE CREEK Status: Active and 40 per cent contained. Description: A 848-hectare fire burning 4.5 km northwest of D’Arcy. Cool conditions and precipitation have resulted in decreased fire behaviour. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has rescinded an evacuation order in the area of Ponderosa and McGillivray but evacuation alerts remain in place for the communities of Ponderosa, McGillivray and D’Arcy. Cause: Lightning. HARRIS CREEK Status: Active and out of control. Description: This fire is located 16 kilometres southeast of Lumby and was measured at 7 Cause: Lightning. JULIET CREEK Status: Active and out of control. Description: This fire is located about 47 kilometres southwest of Merritt and currently measures about 24 square kilometres. The evacuation order has been downgraded back to an evacuation alert in the Murray Lake area. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Cause: Lightning. MABEL CREEK Status: Active and out of control. Description: This fire is measured at 12.5 square kilometres and is located 6.5 kilometres east of Mabel Lake. An area restriction order was put in place on Aug. 4 and remains in place until Sept. 15 or until the order is rescinded. A closure is also in place along the Mabel Lake FSR to all recreation traffic from KM 10 to KM 59. Cause: Under investigation. Suspected lightning. OLD TOM CREEK Status: Active and out of control. Description: A 10.25-square kilometre fire burning 7 km west of Olalla. High winds resulted in an escalation of fire behaviour and saw some small growth of the fire Tuesday. There are areas of steep terrain that are unsafe and inoperable for crews to access. Cause: Lightning. SNOWY MOUNTAIN Status: Active and being held. Description: This 170.68-square kilometre fire is located in the Snowy Protected Area, about 14 kilometres south of Keremeos. B.C. crews are working with U.S. crews to manage the fire’s proximity to the border. Steep terrain has been a challenge but crews are being placed strategically where it is safer and suppression is successful. Cause: Lightning. SUGAR MOUNTAIN Status: Active and out of control. Description: This fire measures 3.94 square kilometres and is located 4 kilometres east of Sugar Lake. An area restriction order was put into effect on Aug. 4 and remains in place until Sept. 15 or until rescinded. The Sugar Creek recreation site on the north-east corner of Sugar Lake is also closed, along with the Kate Creek FST access road. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Cause: Under investigation. ELBOW LAKE Status: Active and 10 per cent contained. Description: An estimated 6.6-square kilometre fire near Elbow Lake, about 50 kilometres from Dease Lake, is highly visible to the public from Highway 37. Some cabins are receiving structural protection at this time. The Regional District of Kitimat Stikine has implemented an evacuation order for this wildfire. Cause: Lightning. GILMORE LAKE WILDFIRE Status: Active and 100 per cent contained. Description: A two-square kilometre fire burning eight kilometres southwest of the village of Topley. Bulkley Nechako Regional District has rescinded an evacuation order but an evacuation alert is still in effect for this wildfire. Cause: Lightning. ISLAND LAKE WILDFIRE Status: Active Description: The estimated 204-square kilometre fire is burning just south of Francois Lake. An evacuation order and alert remain in effect for the Bulkley Nechako Regional District. Crews are doing boat patrols along the south shore of Francois Lake for structure protection and hotspot mop up. Cause: Lightning. LUTZ CREEK Status: Active. Description: A 1,060-square kilometre fire south of Watson Lake and southwest of Lower Post, B.C.. Crews are removing fuels near residences in Lower Post, which is under an evacuation order. The Alaska Highway between Watson Lake, Yukon and Coal River, BC has been reopened, however. Cause: Lightning. NADINA LAKE Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Status: Active. Description: A 854-square kilometre burning 40 km south of Burns Lake. The Nadina fire experienced very little growth Tuesday with pockets of moderate fire behaviour within the fire’s perimeter. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has implemented an Evacuation Order and Evacuation Alert for this fire. Cause: Lightning. POPE FSA Status: Active, 100 per cent guarded. Description: The six-kilometres fire burning 37 northwest of Hazelton has low activity and saw no significant growth overnight Tuesday. Cause: Lightning. SHOVEL LAKE Status: Active, 20 per cent contained. Description: A 913-square kilometre fire is burning 6.7 kilometres northwest of Endako, approximately 30 kilometres northeast of Burns Lake. An Evacuation Order and Alert remains in effect for this wildfire issued by the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District. As well, an Evacuation Order remains in effect for this wildfire issued by the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation and an Evacuation Alert remains in effect for this wildfire issued by the District of Fort St. James. The BC Wildfire Service continues to implement an Area Order Restriction, and asks for the public to respect this restriction by staying out of the area. Cause: Under investigation. TORKELSEN LAKE Status: Active. Description: A 21-square kilometre fire located 20 kilometres south of Fort Babine.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email There seems to be a small flash of hope in the fight against two major wildfires in B.C. Crews were able to carry out a controlled burn on Saturday for the Shovel Lake wildfire, as weather conditions finally calmed down enough to allow crews to burn off fuel ahead of it. Crews hope to carry the same strategy near Kimberley in an effort to contain the 6,996-hectare Meachen Creek fire, which has put thousands of residents on evacuation alert. On Sunday, Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick said evacuation alerts were delivered to 4,500 residences. RCMP have a list of residents who need special assistance in case an evacuation order is implemented. Officials say wind near the fire may blow some smoke away from Kimberley. Story continues below advertisement Still, Kevin Skrepnek of the B.C. Wildfire Service says there are “fires of note really from one corner of the province literally to the other,” which will remain active for a while. WATCH: Time-lapse video shows smoke turn day to night in Fort St. James 0:38 Time-lapse video shows smoke turn day to night in Fort St. James Time-lapse video shows smoke turn day to night in Fort St. James – Aug 18, 2018 A pair of wildfires in Central Kootenay has prompted officials to issue an evacuation alert for parts of the region. The Syringa Creek and Deer Creek blazes forced officials to send out a warning Saturday night for all of the Syringa Provincial Park and areas near Deer Park. The alert for Syringa Provincial Park covers a large area, including 26 properties and a campground with around 100 sites. The Deer Park warning covers 77 properties. Both blazes are among the 56 wildfires of note in B.C. Story continues below advertisement WATCH: High winds prompts evacuation alert in Kimberley 1:43 High winds prompts evacuation alert in Kimberley High winds prompts evacuation alert in Kimberley – Aug 18, 2018 An evacuation order has been issued for a remote area of Vancouver Island because of the Gold Valley Main wildfire. Residents of six properties in the village of Zeballos on the northwest coast of the island have been ordered out. The 90-hectare fire is burning right next to the community. The village says the main concern is the risk of falling debris. On Saturday, the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen expanded an evacuation alert around the backcountry Cool Creek wildfire, which is burning out of control in the Southern Interior. Elsewhere, an evacuation alert has been lifted for the Gottfriedsen Mountain fire burning near West Kelowna. Officials say the flames no longer pose a threat to life and properties in the area. The alert was issued earlier this month, covering properties, campgrounds, and four lakes north of Highway 97C. Story continues below advertisement Smoky skies forced the cancellation of the Apple Triathlon in Kelowna. Smoke from wildfires has prompted air quality advisories for much of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, although Environment Canada had dropped Prince George, B.C., from “Very High” to “Moderate Risk” as of Saturday afternoon. — With files from Doyle Potenteau and The Canadian Press<doc-sep>More than 150 firefighters and thousands of residents will be closely watching the weather in northern B.C. on Friday as the largest wildfire in the province has people in nearby cities and communities on edge. The Shovel Lake fire prompted an "extreme fire behaviour warning" from the B.C. Wildfire Service on Thursday afternoon. 'It burns like gasoline' CBC News BC 0:30 Logger James Stump describes what it's like being near the Shovel Lake wildfire. 0:30 Officials said the 79,000-hectare (790 square-kilometre) fire — nearly seven times the size of Vancouver — was in danger of being whipped up by strong winds. Fire information officer Claire Allen said the fire held overnight, but gusts of up to 40 km/h are in the forecast for Friday. It’s a #Smokey morning in #Vanderhoof because of nearby #bcwildfires pic.twitter.com/8TjFjHTES9 —@wilfundal "The winds are what we're watching out for today," she said Friday morning. "Whenever we have something like that in the forecast, we have to be very, very careful — both in terms of fire behaviour as well as the safety of our firefighters out on the line." Extreme fire behaviour is characterized by a "fast-spreading, high-intensity crown fire" that can be very difficult to control, according to Natural Resources Canada. Firefighter Christian Garcia, from Mexico, deals with hotspots in an area burned by the Shovel Lake wildfire near Endako, B.C., on Aug. 16. The Shovel Lake wildfire, the biggest blaze in B.C., is more than 680 square kilometres in size. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) A crown fire is one that burns through the treetops and along the forest floor. The smog has made it difficult for crews to fly over the fire and map a plan of attack. Smoke and ash from the fire has clouded over Prince George, leaving the sky a dark, burnt orange colour well into Friday morning. Street lights were still on in some parts of the city well after 10 a.m. Smoke and ash blankets Prince George, B.C. CBC News BC 0:32 Evacuees line up outside an emergency reception centre as smoke from the Shovel Lake wildfire floats over the city. 0:32 Darker yet again in Prince George at 9:10 AM. You can feel the smoke and ash the second you step outside. #CityofPG #BCWildfires pic.twitter.com/geKtWfLjIi —@Nicole_Oud Combined smoke from wildfires in western Canada is visible from NASA's DSCOVR satellite — which is about 1.6 million kilometres away. The clouds of smoke over North America during the past few weeks have been epic. On August 15, 2018, smoke was even visible to DSCOVR, a satellite about 1 million miles away. https://t.co/JbooAosaT2 #NASA #EPIC #AirQuality #wildfires pic.twitter.com/IcwqdWWIh6 —@NASAEarth Historic site threatened The Shovel Lake fire is burning west of Prince George, between Burns Lake and Vanderhoof. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako urged residents to comply with evacuation orders after the wildfire service's warning on Thursday. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has been warned of the risk of extreme fire behaviour from the Shovel Lake wildfire burning west of Prince George. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC) Rob MacDougall, mayor of nearby Fort St. James, said the past few days have been "overwhelming on many fronts." "We haven't experienced the threat of fire in the past and so close," he said. Fort St. James National Historic Site is home to Canada's largest collection of fur trade-era wood buildings. Some are 130 years old. Maintenance teams from Parks Canada have set up a sprinkler system on the roofs of the buildings, wetting the grounds to prevent any sparks from flaming up in the park. Lyle Penner, who works with the park's maintenance team, has been going building to building, ensuring every structure has been sufficiently protected. "Some of these buildings ... are a critical part of Canadian history," he said. Fort St James historic site has sprinklers set up to protect buildings ~130 years old #bcwildfire pic.twitter.com/IqVp3cn52l —@akurjata Evacuation alert for Kimberley Late Thursday, the entire city of Kimberley and properties directly south and southwest of the city in the Regional District East Kootenay were placed on evacuation alert due to fires in that area. Around 7,400 people live in the southeast B.C. city. In a statement, Mayor Don McCormick said residents will be given as much advance notice as possible if they need to leave, but he cautioned there may be limited notice due to changing conditions. An evacuation order was also issued by the district Thursday for residents of 65 properties in the St. Mary Lake area. Members of the RCMP are helping residents leave their homes. More fire information: B.C. is in its third day of a provincewide state of emergency. There are nearly 600 wildfires burning across the province. People living in more than 1,500 properties have been forced to leave, while 9,500 more must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. The Cariboo Regional District issued an evacuation order for 62 properties in the Dean River North area, including Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park, late Thursday. The evacuation route was listed as Highway 20 to Williams Lake. A local state of emergency has been declared in Zeballos — northwest of Tahsis — on northern Vancouver Island as several fires burn out of control in the area. Highway 93 South through Kootenay National Park may be impacted by wildfire smoke this weekend. Traffic has been reduced to 50 km/h through the area of the Wardle wildfire. Around 100 Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed early Thursday to an area west of Kelowna, working on the mop-up of contained fires. The Department of National Defence said it's working with the B.C. Wildfire Service to determine where and when to send other troops. Thirty-six new fires started between Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon, mostly sparked by lightning. B.C. wildfire map: B.C. evacuation map: With files from Yvette Brend, Andrew Kurjata, Michelle Ghoussoub and The Canadian Press Read more from CBC British Columbia<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email Our live coverage of this year’s wildfires has now ended. This post will no longer be updated. B.C. is still dealing with back-to-back record wildfire seasons, with more than 1.349 million hectares burned. On Sept. 7, the B.C. government ended the province-wide state of emergency, in place since Aug. 15. As of Monday, Sept. 17, there are 11 “wildfires of note” burning across B.C. Wildfires of note are wildfires which are highly visible or which pose a potential threat to public safety. WATCH: Premier Horgan tours the B.C. central fire zone and meets with evacuees 1:37 Premier Horgan tours the B.C. central fire zone and meets with evacuees Premier Horgan tours the B.C. central fire zone and meets with evacuees – Aug 21, 2018 Two are in the Prince George Fire Centre, eight in the Northwest Fire Centre and one in the Coastal Fire Centre. Story continues below advertisement There have been more than 2,050 fires reported since April 1, costing the province $450 million. READ MORE: BC Wildfire Service puts Kamloops Fire Centre blazes on top of priority list The BC Wildfire Service has provided a map of where the fires are located (it may not load in high traffic times so you might need to be patient). The larger icons are the wildfires of note. FULL COVERAGE: Wildfires burning around B.C. WATCH: Coverage of wildfires this year on Globalnews.ca Story continues below advertisement The fire was caused by lightning. Prince George Fire Centre View image in full screen The Chutanli Lake wildfire. Courtesy of B.C. Wildfire Service. Chutanli Lake The 20,813-hectare wildfire is burning approximately 135 kilometres southwest of Prince George. The fire is also located 11 kilometres northeast of Tatelkuz Lake, 23 kilometres west of Titetown and two to three kilometres west of Batnuni. It is 95 per cent contained and is considered being held. The Kluskus FSR is now open to all traffic. However, the Martin Road, Blue Road and Grey Road remain closed due to fire activity. For details, go to the Cariboo Regional District website and the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako website. Story continues below advertisement North of Tezzeron Lake This wildfire is 10,602 hectares in size and is burning 106 kilometres northwest of Vanderhoof and 13 kilometres south of Inzana Lake. It is now 40 per cent contained and being held. Crews are building hand line in the south east of the fire between Dolphin Lake and the Hat Road. Hotspots are being dealt with on the northeast of Dolphin Lake. The Hat Creek FSR and Hat Creek Connector are closed, and could remain so for the coming weeks. The fire is also burning back towards the Leo Road, however it remains open. You can find up to date evacuation orders and alerts for the entire region here. Coastal Fire Centre Tweedsmuir Complex Located within Tweedsmuir Park, this complex consists of the Dean River, Ramsey Creek, Tesla Lake and Pondosy Bay fires. The fire is estimated to be 301,549 hectares in size and is zero per cent contained. This group of fires has shown little growth for some time. Some sections of the fires in the north Tweedsmuir area are receiving snow, and the latest satellite imaging has not recorded heat for the past four days. This indicates that, while the fires are not out, the activity is so low that it cannot be recorded by this technology. Story continues below advertisement Portions of Tweedsmuir Park are closed. You can find details through the Regional Distrit of Bulkley-Nechaco, the Cariboo Regional District, and the Central Coast Regional District. Evacuation alerts and orders are in place for impacted areas. For more information please contact the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako at www.rdbn.bc.ca, the Cariboo Regional District at www.cariboord.bc.ca and the Central Coast Regional District at www.ccrd-bc.ca View image in full screen The Tweedsmuir Complex fire from the air. Courtesy of the B.C. Wildfire Service. Northwest B.C. View image in full screen The Shovel Lake fire. Credit: Twyla Lee. Shovel Lake This 92,255-hectare wildfire is burning about six kilometres north of the community of Fraser Lake. Story continues below advertisement There are 87 firefighters on scene, along with four helicopters and four pieces of heavy equipment.