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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard found not guilty of sexual assault
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
Missing B.C. climber died from fall on Mount Baker, medical examiner says
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies and bats
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Anne Hathaway confirms 'Princess Diaries 3': 'Miracles happen'
You might be thinking, 'Shut up!' but it’s officially true: the 'Princess Diaries' franchise is finally growing.
Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Sask. man pleads guilty in U.S. after unknowingly providing videos of men raping toddlers to FBI agent
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.