B.C.’s biggest wildfire doubles in size after merging with another fire

B.C.’s biggest wildfire has doubled in size.

The Pocket Knife Creek wildfire, located in the Fort St. John fire zone, now measures 129,331.8 hectares.

It merged with another fire on Sunday and as a result, the “size of this fire increased substantially,” the BC Wildfire Service stated in an update on its website.

It is classified as out of control and has prompted the Peace River Regional District to issue an evacuation order and an evacuation alert.

The fire was suspected to have been caused by lightning.

On Monday, the BC Wildfire Service issued an expansion to the area restriction due to this wildfire in order to protect the public in areas where there are ongoing fire suppression activities and hazardous fire behaviour conditions.

This will remain in place until Oct. 15 or the order is rescinded.

0:32 Crews on scene of out-of-control wildfire near Squamish

Meanwhile, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has expanded an evacuation order for the Summit Lake Wildfire, burning in the Tetsa River area in northeast B.C.

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“Given fire behavior, surrounding fire hazards, remoteness and assets in place, at the recommendation of BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has issued an evacuation order for the following area,” the municipality posted.

• Along the Alaska Highway corridor from Summit Lake Campground within Stone Mountain Provincial Park (Mile 392 | KM 630 Alaska Highway); from the NW point (58°42’2.23″N 124°39’43.41″W) to the SW point of (58°38’16.21″N 124°39’40.50″W)
• Along the Alaska Highway corridor to and including the Muskwa River Boat Launch (Mile 319 | KM 513 Alaska Highway); from the NE point (58°49’55.80″N 123°33’20.62″W) to the SE point of (58°46’58.64″N 123°30’28.12″W)
• The Highway Corridor is excluded from the evacuation order area but is subject to closure as directed by BCWS.
• An evacuation alert was extended for the following area as shown in the attached map in yellow which is a polygon bounded by:
• Along the Alaska Highway corridor to and including the Muskwa River Boat Launch (Mile 319 | KM 513 Alaska Highway); from the NW point (58°49’55.80″N 123°33’20.62″W) to the SW point of (58°46’58.64″N 123°30’28.12″W)
• Along the Alaska Highway corridor to and including the Raspberry Creek pullout (Mile 308.2 | KM 495.5 Alaska Highway); from the NE point (58°54’36.0″N 123°19’12.0″W) to the SE point (58°50’24.0″N 123°18’00.0″W)