A small wildfire is now being considered ‘held’ after being discovered and suppressed by the B.C. Wildfire Service near Fort St John today, July 29.
The blaze located past Fish Creek on Cecil Lake Road, about six kilometres northeast of Fort St John, continues to be monitored, as the investigation into the blaze continues.
B.C. Wildfire Service officials have said it is likely the fire was started by a person, though it is unclear if the fire was intentionally lit.
As it stands, the fire is currently being held to 90 square meters, and there are no area restrictions in effect.
Earlier this summer, the Peace River region experienced more serious incidents with the Kiskatinaw River and Pocket Knife Creek fires – with evacuees from the former going to Dawson Creek and the latter going to Fort St John.
Drought conditions in the northeast amplify the risk of wildfires. Last week, the city of Dawson Creek implemented their stage two water restrictions in response to this dry spell.
B.C.’s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship also put out a statement on July 14 urging residents to practice water conservation efforts – such as fixing leaky faucets and less frequent lawn waterings.
