Evacuation alert lifted in Fort St. John, but dry conditions persist

The residents of Fort St. John received some good news Wednesday.

The evacuation alert for their city has been rescinded.

“This is great news,” said Mayor Lilia Hansen. “Fort St. John can feel more confident as to what their safety and security is."

Hannah Swift, of the B.C. Wildfire Service, said that “just based on the fact we’re not going to have those strong north winds that have potential to push the fire in that direction, it is a safer situation now for the city of Fort St. John."

But the wildfire that left many in the community on edge is still burning out of control.

“We’re most certainly not out of the woods,” said Swift, who explained that a large area of black spruce adjacent to the wildfire is a real concern.

“The black spruce can wick up easily and gain a lot of momentum,” she said.

Dry conditions are not just a worry in the Peace River Regional District, but all over the province, including the Lower Mainland.

Conservation officers in the Chilliwack River Valley came upon a wildfire Wednesday morning that had begun only minutes earlier when a tree came down on power lines.

Julia Caranci of the Coastal Fire Centre said the region is seeing “a moderate and, in some areas, high fire danger."

"We can expect that trend to continue until we see some precipitation,” she said.

The largest fire in the coastal region is burning north of Mission and is more than 16 hectares in size.

“We have 20 firefighters working on that fire today. Fire activity is lower on that fire than it has been which is good news for us, although at this time it is still classified as out of control,” Caranci said.

New open burning bans in the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, with the exception of Haida Gwai, go into effect Thursday at noon. While campfires are still permitted, backyard and industrial burning is not.

Also prohibited are fireworks, sky lanterns and burn barrels.

Meanwhile, Hansen said she’s grateful for all those working to keep Fort St. John safe, as well as the many offers of help from residents and businesses.