Multiple early season wildfires burning in B.C.'s Cariboo and Prince George regions

QUESNEL, B.C. — Wildfire season is off to an early start in British Columbia's central Interior and Cariboo regions, with at least one fire listed as out of control and continuing to grow in the Quesnel area.

The B.C. Wildfire Service reported multiple wildfires south of Quesnel and east of Vanderhoof over the weekend as dry conditions helped fuel the blazes.

The largest of the fires is the Burgess Creek wildfire, which expanded to 16 square kilometres Sunday afternoon after being discovered on Saturday.

The Wildfire Service said the Burgess Creek wildfire is located about five kilometres northwest of Ben Lake and 45 kilometres south of Quesnel and is listed as out of control.

Firefighters are in the area supported by heavy equipment and aircraft, the Wildfire Service said.

Cariboo Regional District has issued an evacuation alert covering more than 32 square kilometres in the Burgess Creek area.

The Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre says the alert covers six parcels of land, and residents are being told to be ready to evacuate on short notice.

The Prince George Fire Centre is reporting two wildfires about four kilometres east of Vanderhoof.

The Wildfire Service is reporting 113 active wildfires in B.C., and as of Sunday afternoon, six of them had erupted within the past 24 hours.

The B.C. government said last year's wildfire season was the most destructive in the province's history as more than 2.84 million hectares of forest and land burned and tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press