B.C. banning campfires, new evacuation order issued in northeast

Lighting paired with hot weather has prompted a new evacuation order due to a wildfire in northeastern B.C., as well as a provincewide campfire ban.

On Tuesday, the province said it will be banning campfires across B.C. starting at noon on Friday. The sole exception to the ban is in the Haida Gwaii Forest District.

The ban is being put into place because of the risk of increased wildfire starts as lighting is forecast later in the week, following several days of unseasonably hot weather that saw several temperature records set across B.C.

It also comes as the Fort Nelson First Nation issued a wildfire evacuation order for a remote riverside reserve, telling residents and visitors they must immediately leave by boat.

The First Nation says the order covers the Kahntah Reserve, about 116 kilometres southeast of Fort Nelson.

The First Nation's reception office told CBC News that no structures are impacted by the order, and officials with B.C.'s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said the same in an email to Reuters.

But if there are any backcountry users in the region, the nation said there is a risk to life and safety due to an out-of-control fire that was discovered on Monday, and anyone in the evacuation zone should leave immediately.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the blaze, measuring five hectares in size, is believed to have been caused by lightning.

New fires anticipated

The BCWS says it's also anticipating new wildfire starts in northern regions generally, according to an advisory posted on social media Tuesday.

It says this is due to a cold front expected to "sweep across" northern B.C. Wednesday that could bring "strong winds, thunderstorms and the potential for dry lightning.

The province also issued a smoky skies advisory Tuesday for the Fort Nelson region, with smoke from the Little Oliver Creek fire expected to impact the Witset area.

Smoke has also been impacting the air in the northeast B.C. city of Fort St. John, where air quality in recent days has been rated a 10+, the highest possible, and ranked among the worst in the world by international tracking sites.