By Cheryl Jahn

Fire Danger Rating High

Aug 9, 2018 | 3:31 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The Prince George Fire Centre is busy these days.

Currently, there are 121 active fires in the Prince George Fire Centre. The number one priority for the BC Wildfire Service in the Prince George region is the Purvis Lake fire, which is located twenty kilometres north of Takla Lake. It is now 15-hundred hectares in size. The Driftwood Forest Service Road is closed as a result. There are 39 firefighters, four helicopters and 18 pieces of equipment working that blaze. 

And the BC Wildfire Service would like to remind residents of campfire bans in effect, as of today. That ban impacts regions around Mackenzie, Fort St James, Vanderhoof, the Robson Valley and Prince George.

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Wildfire crews reported aggressive fire behaviour as the Chutanli Lake fire grew to 18 hundred hectares Wednesday.  The blaze is located about 130 kilometres west of Quesnel and has crossed the Kluskus Forest Service Road and threatening to grow larger with hot and windy conditions in the forecast Thursday.  Further south the Shag Creek fire has grown to 900 hectares and has lead to an evacuation order affecting 93 properties.  

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To the west, the Wildfire Service says the Shovel Lake fire was extremely aggressive.  The southern tip of the fire moved 6 kilometres yesterday, forcing crews to safe locations.  The fire is now 15 thousand hectares in size.  Nearly 150 firefighters and support personnel are working with 51 pieces of heavy equipment and 16 helicopters to fight the fire. 

Turning to the northwest, wildfire officials say more structures have been lost in Telegraph Creek. Although, it’s unclear at this point how many. At least 27 structures have already been destroyed. The Alkali Fire merged with the South Stikine Fire complex on Wednesday and is still burning aggressively. Evacuees are being sent to Dease Lake and other nearby communities.