Holdover fire near Fort Nelson, B.C., no longer 'being held,' now 'out of control' again

A holdover wildfire burning in B.C.'s northeast corner is once again considered "out of control," after a spate of hot, dry weather in the region.

The BC Wildfire Service said on social media Friday that it had changed the status of the Patry Creek wildfire from "being held" to "out of control" after "July 4 saw challenges to containment lines" on the blaze's northwest flank. 

The massive fire first sparked in July 2023. It reignited and began growing again this spring, contributing to the danger that led to evacuation alerts and orders for Fort Nelson and the Fort Nelson First Nation.

The Parker Lake fire – which is closer to Fort Nelson's downtown and was the primary cause of the evacuations in May – remains under control, according to the BCWS.

"Increased fire behaviour may produce more smoke in the coming days," the agency said in its post.

"However, smoke from outside the fire perimeter should be reported to 1 800 663-5555 toll free, *5555 on a cell phone, or through the BC Wildfire Service app."

According to the BCWS, the change in status for the Patry Creek fire is due, in part, to two new fires that sparked nearby on July 1 and have since merged with the larger blaze.

"Changes to the Patry Creek fire do not present any increased threat to Fort Nelson; areas of active burning are the northwest corner, approximately 60 kilometres from town, and the southeast corner, approximately 22 kilometres from town," the BCWS said on its wildfire information page for Patry Creek Saturday morning.

"However, the fire may affect Highway 77 and temporary closures may be required in the coming days. Today, July 6, will see hot, dry, and windy conditions. Westerly winds will promote fire growth through spruce stands, and smoke will be highly visible from Highway 77."

According to the fire page, there are currently 152 ground personnel assigned to the blaze and 23 helicopters assigned to the North Peace Complex of fires, which includes Patry Creek.

An incident management team is co-ordinating the response to the complex from Fort Nelson.

The Patry Creek wildfire is more than 700 square kilometres in size, according to the BCWS.