Wildfire sparks near Chetwynd, B.C.
An out-of-season wildfire is burning out of control north of Prince George, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
The Hasler Flats wildfire was discovered Friday morning about 30 kilometres southwest of Chetwynd and 200 kilometres northeast of Prince George.
The eight-hectare blaze is classified as "out of control," meaning it's "continuing to spread and is not responding to suppression efforts," according to the BCWS website.
Firefighters consider the blaze to be human caused, and they're giving it a "full" response. Its size is estimated at eight hectares.
"The BC Wildfire Service uses a full response when there is threat to public safety and/or property and other values, such as infrastructure or timber. Immediate action is taken. During a full response, a wildfire is suppressed and controlled until it is deemed 'out,'" the BCWS website reads.
There was no indication online over the weekend of how many firefighters or other resources were involved in the fight. CTV News has reached out to the wildfire service for more information.
There are currently 92 active wildfires in the province, almost all of which are holdover fires from last year’s record breaking season which are classified as “being held,” meaning they are not likely to spread.
Eighty-nine of the blazes are in the Prince George fire centre, where the province’s largest forest region is located, and which has a total area of 33.6 million hectares. The wildfire service describes it as “largely rugged and remote.”
Premier David Eby said last week that he is “profoundly worried” about what the coming fire season will bring, saying this is why the budget includes $106 billion in contingency funds over the next three years.
“We are in the most severe category of drought in many different parts of the province, especially in the northeast. We had a record number of fires burning underneath the snow in the province, about 100 fires in January that we hadn't seen before and we're expecting this to be quite a terrible fire and drought season,” he said.
“We spent a billion dollars fighting forest fires last fire season and we're expecting this fire season to be even worse, so contingencies enable us to respond to those kinds of emergencies, as well as other issues that may arise during the year.”
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William made $42 million from his newly inherited estate last year, reports show
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
LIVE @ 11 A.M. MT Extent of Jasper wildfire damage still unknown; Alberta Wildfire hosting update
Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Jennifer Aniston criticizes JD Vance for 'childless cat ladies' remarks: 'I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children'
Jennifer Aniston is criticizing JD Vance for comments he made in his past about women without children.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.