Although still active internally, the Shovel Lake Fire – burning approximately six km north of Fraser Lake – is primarily within containment lines, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
This fire has consumed 91,253 hectares.
The fire has not moved toward Fort St. James, Hwy. 27, or Hwy. 16 in the last week.
Crews stayed out all night working on hand ignition and mop-up along the containment lines in the northeast corner of the fire.
“With clear skies for the morning, air support can be safely utilized as long as the winds today do not push smoke back over the area,” stated the B.C. Wildfire Service today.
The weather for today is expected to be mainly a repeat of Monday, with a mix of sun and clouds. Winds are forecast to be from the west-southwest at 20 km/hr by the afternoon with some possible gusts up to 30 km/hr.
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN) partially rescinded the evacuation order for this fire yesterday.
An evacuation alert remains in place from east of Sutherland River Park to west of Marie Forest Service Road (FSR).
An evacuation order remains in effect for the north of the alert area on the north shore of Fraser Lake to the middle of Sutherland River Park; east of the center of Taltapin Lake to west of Dog Creek FSR.
The B.C. Wildfire Service continues to implement an area order restriction for the Shovel Lake Fire and asks for the public to respect this restriction by staying out of the area.
A total of 238 firefighters, 12 helicopters and 43 heavy equipment have been deployed to this fire. In addition, 45 support personnel, 12 helicopters and 17 Structural Protection staff are shared amongst all fires comprising this complex.
Other fires in the region still active
The Nadina Lake Fire, burning approximately 40 km southwest of Burns Lake, is estimated at 85,428 hectares.
The Verdun Mountain Fire, located approximately nine km southwest of Grassy Plains, has burned 34,586 hectares.
The Island Lake Fire, located just south of Francois Lake, has consumed 20,409 hectares.
The Torkelsen Lake Fire, located approximately 20 km south of Fort Babine, is estimated at 2,082 hectares.
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