Prince George Fire Centre personnel have responded to 20 new fires in the past 48 hours, 15 of which were caused by lightning. One of the fires was caused by an abandoned campfire and the causes of four others are undetermined at this time.

One of the largest fires is 60 kilometres northeast of Fort Nelson and has so far burned three hectares. Helicopters were used to bucket water onto the fire and two Initial Attack Crews were onsite fighting the blaze. Airtankers were used to fight another fire south of Stuart Lake, followed by a helicopter bucketing additional water onto the fire. Ground crews will be onsite today to fight the fire. 

Fifteen abandoned campfires were reported in the Prince George Fire Zone over the extended Canada Day long weekend. Anyone who lights a campfire MUST completely extinguish it before leaving the area for any length of time, making sure that the ashes are cool to the touch.

The fire danger rating is currently “moderate” to “high” throughout the Prince George Fire Centre, with a few areas rated “extreme” near Vanderhoof, Fort St. John and northeast of Fort Nelson.

Numerous phone reports received from the public over the long weekend allowed the Wildfire Management Branch to respond to fires quickly and efficiently. The Prince George Fire Centre thanks everyone who took the time to call about these fires. To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call *5555 on your cellphone or call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free.

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Media Contacts:

Jill Kelsh
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Prince George Fire Centre
250 565-6129