British Columbia: The BC Wildfire Service reports that cooler, wetter weather has eased the intensity of ongoing wildfires across the province. However, drought conditions persist, and the risk of new fires remains high.
As of Thursday morning, 111 wildfires are still active, with two significant fires near Fort Nelson in the province’s northeast continuing to burn out of control. The Parker Lake and Patry Creek wildfires, together covering over 86,000 square kilometers, have forced thousands of residents to evacuate.
Rob Fraser, Mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, announced plans for approximately 4,700 evacuees to return home following an evacuation alert issued on May 11. BC Hydro has restored power to all properties in Fort Nelson except for 10 damaged by the fires, and Fortis BC is working to restore natural gas service after it was shut off.