The Little Bobtail Lake wildfire burning southwest of Prince George is now 45 per cent contained.
Crews have been able to make significant progress over the last couple days, but several areas of the fire have not received any precipitation and are still very dry and combustible.
“We have not seen a lot of fire growth on it in the last couple of days,” says fire information officer Melissa Klassen. “Partly because we had some cooler conditions, lighter winds and we were able to get some contain lines established.”
Klassen says they saw the containment level rise from 15 to 30 to 45 per cent in just a few days.
“It is tribute to the amount of crews that are on the ground, working around the clock,” she says.
More than 300 firefighters and 11 helicopters are working on the fire, utilizing 45 pieces of heavy equipment and six airtankers.
The fire is 25,000 hectares in size, even though crews have been battling it since May 9.
MAP OF THE CURRENT FIRE ZONE
The Wildfire Management Branch says there have been some safety concerns after reports of people coming in and out of alert and order areas. An evacuation order is currently in effect for 80 people in the area.
Authorities say it is still an active wildfire and that driving or using recreational vehicles in restricted or evacuated areas may endanger the lives of crews who rely on these roads for operational purposes and escape routes.
They say recently burned areas and areas of active wildfire contain multiple potential hazards, including dangerous trees with compromised root systems, hotspots, and unstable temporary access routes and fire guards.
BC Parks has closed Dahl Lake Provincial Park and Bobtail Mountain Provincial Park to all recreational users and has ordered the evacuation of any users within the park.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it is believed to be human caused.
B.C. Premier Christy Clark surveyed the fire last Friday and called it “alarming,” warning residents of a “bad forest fire season” ahead.
There are currently 60 wildfires burning across the province.
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