Donny Creek wildfire becomes the largest in B.C. history
The fire has already covered almost 5,500 square kilometers.
Forest fires in Canada unfortunately continue to set sad records. Over the weekend, it was revealed that the Donny Creek wildfire — in the northeastern province of British Columbia — was the largest wildfire in the province's history. It surpassed the 2017 Plateau wildfire. At the time, the fire was 5,210 square kilometers.
An area of 5,344 square kilometers on the Donny Creek coast is already on fire, and it's likely not the limit. B.C. Wildfire Service officials said that despite strength efforts, the fire is not yet under control.
This fire broke out on May 12 due to a lightning strike. And because it started unusually early for seasonal fires, during what the province calls the "spring dip" the forests had not had time to green up, and the vegetation in the area remained fairly dry. This made it easier for the fire to spread than usual.
Despite the scale of the fire, it raged far away from major population centers, so a large number of people were not affected. Nevertheless, the BCWS had to issue an evacuation orders for the residents of the nearby populated region. Most of the people who work in the forestry and oil and gas industries live there. Also just 2 kilometers from the fire is a stretch of the Alaska Highway. Evacuation orders and alerts are also in effect along the 160-kilometer stretch of road.
