With the wildfire in Fort McMurray forcing more evacuations and uncertainty, many expected B.C. to send fire crews to help those fighting the blaze in Alberta.
But the provincial government says our crews are already stretched to the limit by fires in the interior.
There are nearly 50 fires burning in central and northern B.C., like the Siphon Creek fire near Fort St. John, which is zero per cent contained.
An evacuation alert is now in effect for Mile 80 of the Alaska Highway area due to the fires in the region.
READ MORE: Full coverage on the Fort McMurray wildfire
But B.C. Premier Christy Clark said while B.C. crews can’t help in Fort McMurray, they will take the unusual step of following the fire into Alberta if it crosses the border.
“If the Siphon Creek fire moves to the east we will certainly follow it, which isn’t normally what we would do,” said Clark. “Alberta firefighters are working as hard as they possibly can and we don’t want to add to their burden.”
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