B.C. firefighters helped by late-spring snow

Winter-weary Canadians would not normally celebrate snow at the end of May, but for fire crews battling several large wildfires in northeastern British Columbia the late-spring precipitation is almost like the Biblical heavenly manna.

Amanda Reynolds, Fire Information Officer for the Prince George Fire Centre at B.C.’s Wildfire Service, said snow started to fall early Friday morning in the Peace Region and the area will be experiencing a mixture of snow and rain.

Authorities say the precipitation should produce a dramatic downturn in fire activity that has charred hundreds of square kilometres of bush around Fort St. John.

“Crews had made good progress on the fires in the Peace, and this snow, rain and cooler temperatures will help with suppression efforts,” Reynolds said.

The snow is to continue over night but throughout the weekend, the forecasted weather is for dry, clear skies with highs of 19 degrees, she said.

On the flip side, these unsettled weather conditions have significantly impeded road access to the fire. Helicopters are unable to fly due to poor visibility and winter conditions, Reynolds said.

Environment Canada forecasts up to 10 cm of snow by this evening.

“Given the unsafe work conditions due to falling trees and unpassable road conditions, crews are not working on the line today until conditions improve,” Reynolds said.

Crews will be back on the fire line on Saturday as conditions will be improving.

The Siphon Creek blaze, which straddles the B.C./Alberta boundary northeast of Fort St. John, has burned 853-square kilometres and is considered 35 per cent contained, while the Beatton Airport Road fire covers 156-square kilometres and is 65 per cent contained, Reynolds said.

All evacuation orders have been lifted around both fires but evacuation alerts remain in place.

This is the second time this month that wildfires in the region about 40 kilometres north of Fort St. John have caused people to leave their homes behind.