A lightning strike sparked a fire Thursday in the Snaking River area, about 65 kilometres west of Quesnel. By Friday morning, the blaze had grown from 150 to 300 hectares. Smoke plumes are now visible in Quesnel and along Highway 97.
The BC Wildfire Service issued an evacuation alert covering 755 hectares near Harrington Road. Although no homes are under immediate threat, residents in the alerted zone have been told to prepare to leave on short notice.
Forty-one firefighters, three heavy machines and three helicopters are on site. The helicopters have dropped water from buckets to slow the flames. Ground crews worked overnight to clear vegetation and build a fuel-free line around the fire.
“Crews have cut and removed trees to make a safe work area,” said Amandah Cullen, fire information officer for the Cariboo Fire Centre. “We saw Rank 2 fire behaviour today. That means the fire is moving slowly along the ground. Our teams are using direct attack methods on the eastern flank.”
Danger trees are being felled to protect firefighters. Heavy machines are carving new control lines from the western side.
Across the province, an ongoing heat wave has raised fire risk. Between Wednesday and Thursday, BC Wildfire reported 13,167 lightning strikes that sparked 140 new blazes. In the Cariboo Fire Centre alone, crews recorded 1,245 strikes on Wednesday and 978 on Thursday. Thirteen new fires were found in that zone, and 21 more fires were spotted elsewhere in the region.
In northeastern British Columbia, the Prince George Fire Centre saw an estimated 9,000 strikes on Wednesday. One of the largest active fires is the Cantilever Bar fire, now 1,262 hectares. It burns about 10 kilometres south of Lytton and is threatening the Lytton First Nation reserve. That fire began July 28 when a police trailer lost a wheel and rolled into dry brush.
In the Okanagan, crews hold the Drought Hill fire, now at 57 hectares. It started Wednesday after a truck fire along Highway 97. On Vancouver Island, a 90-hectare blaze at Cameron Lake forced an evacuation of the north shore. That fire began Wednesday and is under close watch.
BC Wildfire asks everyone in the province to stay alert. Residents and visitors should follow local updates and alerts. Wildfires can change fast. If you see a wildfire, an unattended campfire or open-burning violation, call 1-800-663-5555 (toll-free) or *5555 on a cellphone. You can also report via the BC Wildfire mobile app. The app lets you upload geotagged photos to help teams decide where to send resources.
Record heat added urgency to firefighting efforts. Prince George hit 32.3 °C on Wednesday, beating the 1920 high of 32.2 °C. Quesnel topped 35.9 °C on Wednesday, surpassing the 1971 record of 35.6 °C. Other record highs fell in Mackenzie (33.4 °C), Dawson Creek (31.4 °C) and Penticton (36.8 °C).
Heat warnings have now been lifted as temperatures ease. Prince George can expect a high of 26 °C today with rising clouds and a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. The low will be near 12 °C.
BC Day weekend looks mild for outdoor plans. Saturday brings sun, a high of 25 °C and a 30 percent chance of a thundershower. Sunday will see mixed sun and clouds with a top of 25 °C. Monday hits 23 °C. From Tuesday to Thursday, highs will range from 20 °C to 21 °C with clouds and showers.
