Half dozen evacuation orders remain in B.C. as crews battle wildfires

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Half a dozen evacuation orders remain in three British Columbia regions where crews continue to battle wildfires despite cooler temperatures.

Fire information officer Navi Saini says the Chelaslie (CHUH’-laz-lee) River blaze in the Northwest Fire Centre is the biggest, at 500 square kilometres.

She says that of the 648 fires since April, 385 have been caused by people as opposed to lightning.

Some were sparked by campfires that weren’t completely extinguished, exhaust from vehicles, discarded cigarette butts, fireworks or burn barrels.

On Monday afternoon, the Prince George Fire Centre restricted public access to the forested area around the Red Deer Creek fire, located 61 kilometres southeast of Tumbler Ridge.

Access has been granted only to people who live in the area, unless written authorization has been granted by a Wildlife Management Branch official.