Wildfire evacuees in Fort St. John, B.C., allowed to return home: city

The City of Fort St. John says a wildfire, seen in a Thursday, May 1, 2025, handout image, which prompted evacuations from the city last night is not actively threatening any structures. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-British Columbia Wildfire Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

The City of Fort St. John, B.C., says people evacuated due to a wildfire on the outskirts of the community have been allowed to return home.

An update posted to the city’s Facebook page at 8:45 a.m. says the fire in the Fish Creek Community Forest was moving northeast, away from the city.

The fire discovered Thursday had prompted evacuations, but the city has since said the fire was not actively threatening any structures.

The BC Wildfire Service website lists the fire as burning out of control and spanning 56 hectares as of 1:39 p.m.

The service says it has two helicopters and 12 firefighters responding to the blaze alongside others from the local fire department.

It says fire activity was expected to increase Friday given the warm and dry conditions, and crews were working to establish hose lines to deliver water to the edges of the fire while the helicopters douse its southern end.

The suspected cause of the fire is human activity.

The city has not said how many people were evacuated.

This report by Brenna Owen of The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2025.