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Rain helps contain Bobtail fire

Wet weather over the weekend combined with cooler conditions helped keep Little Bobtail Lake Fire 80 per cent contained by Sunday afternoon.
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The Little Bobtail Lake wildfire is seen here.

Wet weather over the weekend combined with cooler conditions helped keep Little Bobtail Lake Fire 80 per cent contained by Sunday afternoon.

The Wildfire Management Branch is calling on the public to keep clear of restricted areas as some spots remain very dry and untouched by rainfall.

The 25,000 hectare fire is still considered active and provincial officials said crews rely on roads used by recreational vehicles as escape routes.

Use of those roads may put personnel at risk.

Now 228 firefighters are focused on aggressive mop-up and patrol of the fire, including hotspots around the fire perimeter, which has now reached within 500 metres of the southwestern shore of Norman Lake.

The branch has also deployed three helicopters, 10 pieces of heavy equipment and six airtankers.

It said last week's "aggressive fire behaviour" led to deep burning conditions, that weakened root systems of trees in the area.

The branch has set up security checkpoints and asked the public to follow its restrictions, given that "recently burned areas and areas of active wildfire contain multiple potential hazards, including dangerous trees with compromised root systems, hotspots, and unstable temporary access routes and fire guards."

On Sunday, the helicopters dropped buckets of water on the fire, using buckets that carried anywhere from 60 to 1000 gallons.

The branch said this approach is most effective when crews are on the ground to support the attack.

A joint investigation by Prince George RCMP and the Wildfire Management Branch is looking into the cause of the fire, which was reported May 8 in the late evening.

An evacuation order that was previously in place for the area around Norman Lake was downgraded to an evacuation alert early Sunday morning.

"Property owners in the evacuation order may once again return to their property, but are advised to prepare themselves for evacuation in the event the fire (Little Bobtail Lake fire) is deemed to threaten their property and/or personal safety," said the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George in a press release.

However, the forest fuels are still very dry and the potential for the fire to increase is still there.

The RDFFG issued the evacuation order on May 10, affecting 80 people and 130 properties.

The evacuation alert area for the Berman Lake, Bednesti Lake and the Dahl Lake Road area remains in effect.