By Canadian Press

Quebec makes progress against record wildfire season as blaze in B.C. grows

Jun 12, 2023 | 9:24 AM

Quebec is on the offensive in its battle against a record wildfire season as gusty winds fuel a huge blaze in northeastern British Columbia, forcing more evacuations. 

Premier François Legault says there are now more than 1,200 people fighting fires across the province, including reinforcements from New Brunswick and France, and thousands of Quebecers are starting to return home as the situation improves.

Legault says there should be fewer than 4,000 evacuees remaining by the end of the day, down from a peak of more than 13,500 Friday.  

In British Columbia, two evacuation orders were issued Sunday for remote properties outside Fort Nelson as crews battle the 4,049-square-kilometre Donnie Creek blaze — the second-largest recorded in the province.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says the winds responsible for the weekend trouble around Fort Nelson aided firefighters on a separate blaze south of Fort St. John that prompted an evacuation of the entire northeastern community of Tumbler Ridge.

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More than 80 fires are burning around B.C., including a stubborn 2.5-square-kilometre fire in steep terrain above Highway 4 on Vancouver Island, forcing the continued closure of the main route to Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2023.

The Canadian Press