BC Wildfire Service dealing with 11 ‘overwintering wildfires’ near Fort Nelson

An extreme fire warning sign is shown along Highway 97 toward Fort Nelson, B.C., outside the Charlie Lake Fire Hall near Fort St. John, Monday, May 13, 2024. (Jesse Boily / The Canadian Press)

FORT NELSON — The BC Wildfire Service says 11 fires that have been smouldering underground near Fort Nelson, B.C., since last year are being whipped up by warm and dry weather conditions.

The service says in a Facebook post that the fires have begun visibly smoking recently and officials are monitoring the blazes closely.

It says wildfire crews and aircraft have been sent to hot spots where the fires have the greatest potential risk to infrastructure.

The wildfire service says crews are focusing on blazes that can be safely targeted and resources from elsewhere in the province are being mobilized to help.

It says lower-risk fires are being monitored, and the work dealing with the “overwintering” fires in the province’s northeast began in February, where crews tackled “priority hot spots under frozen conditions.”

The BC Wildfire Service dashboard says there are currently 35 active wildfires in the province, with 10 considered out of control, 18 categorized as under control and the remaining seven classified as “being held.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2025.