Alaska Highway closed again due to wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C.

A wildfire burning northeast of Summit Lake, B.C. is seen in this handout image on Monday, June 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — BC Wildfire Service *MANDATORY CREDIT*

British Columbia’s driving information service says a stretch of the Alaska Highway near Fort Nelson, B.C., that reopened last night has again closed due to a nearby out-of-control wildfire.

DriveBC says in a posting around noon Tuesday that the wildfire between Grouse Trail and Toad Mountain Road had forced the nearly 162-kilometre closure of the highway, also known as Highway 97.

DriveBC had announced the reopening of the highway to single-lane traffic around 9:30 p.m. Monday after an initial closure caused by the same blaze, but it said the road status could change quickly.

The BC Wildfire Service says that although maintaining access to the highway is a priority, the safety of crews and the public is its primary objective.

The wildfire service says the blaze is about 26 square kilometres in size and is burning out of control about 10 kilometres northeast of Summit Lake.

It is one of two “wildfires of note” in the province and prompted the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality to issue an evacuation alert on Monday for the Tetsa River area.

The wildfire service’s latest update says the Summit Lake fire “experienced growth overnight,” though it had not spread in the direction of Highway 97.

“Much of this fire is in incredibly difficult and inaccessible terrain,” the service says. “Ground crews are prioritizing work in accessible areas and helicopters are providing overhead support.”

The service says there are more than 70 wildfires burning in the province as of Tuesday morning, more than half of which are considered out of control.

This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published June 3, 2025.