2 wildfires in northeastern B.C. nearly double in size within day

Two out-of-control wildfires in northeastern British Columbia have nearly doubled in size in one day.

Evacuation orders remain in place for much of the areas surrounding the Red Creek and Boundary Lake fires, about 1,300 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said Sunday the fire at Boundary Lake was an estimated 5,900 hectares, compared to about 3,000 hectares earlier in the day.

The fire at Red Creek hit 2,800 hectares, up from 1,550.

The wildfire service says crews have made significant progress on the Boundary Lake fire thanks to cooler temperatures and higher humidity, and containment lines have been constructed around the fire.

On Sunday evening, the Peace River Regional District downgraded some areas around the Boundary Lake wildfire from an evacuation order to an alert.

An evacuation order for properties in the Red Creek and Lower Cache areas remains in place.