FORT ST. JOHN — Strong winds, high temperatures and no sign of rain could mean another difficult week for crews battling wildfires in northeastern British Columbia.
Fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek said Monday that the Fort St. John area remains the hardest-hit region, with 41 of the province’s 62 active wildfires.
Click here for a map of wildfires in the province.
Skrepnek said firefighters are bracing for strong, sustained winds of 40 to 60 km/h over the next few days.
He said those conditions led to significant growth on the Beatton Airport Road and Siphon Creek wildfires over the weekend.
An evacuation order was issued Sunday for 130 homes near the 150-square-kilometre Beatton fire, while the Siphon Creek blaze northeast of Fort St. John is now estimated at 616 square kilometres.
About one-quarter of that fire is on the Alberta side of the provincial boundary.
Environment Canada is calling for rain and cooler temperatures in the region by Thursday.
