Firefighters are making good progress on a number of fires south and west of Prince George fueled by the hot, dry weather.
However, the hot, dry conditions fueled extreme fire behaviour on the Pelican Lake fires, about 75 kilometres southwest of Prince George, as the crow flies.
The Pelican Lake fires have now expanded to 19,000 hectares. The number of firefighters tackling the blaze has doubled since earlier this week to 190. The firefighters are being supported by water bombers, helicopters and heavy equipment.
The two largest fires have now joined by a very narrow band and cover 17,000 hectares of that fire.
Cariboo Fire Centre information officer Erin Catherall said windy conditions are expected over the weekend, bringing the chance of more extreme fire behaviour where the wildfire moves from the ground to the tops of the trees, known as crowning. The crowning, which can be intermittent or continuous, can cause more spot fires and intensity, she explained.
The Cariboo Regional District has issue an evacuation order for the Pelican Lake area.
Road blocks, set up for the past two weeks, have set up to stop traffic from entering the area.
Catherall said while they would like to see people back in their homes, the priority is safety.
The B.C. Forest Service continues to warn the public to be cautious as the hot, dry conditions are expected to continue.
The wildfire danger level in the Prince George Fire Centre region, which encompasses the northeast quarter of the province, is high to extreme. The forecast over the weekend is calling for temperatures in the high 20-C degree range. Early next week, the temperature is expected to climb above 30 C.
No rain is expected during this period.
"We'll definitely be watching the weather in the next day or two, and when we can, resting our crews," said Prince George Fire centre official Alyson Couch.
A three-hectare fire at Finger Lake - about 100 kilometres southwest of Prince George - is now 100 per cent contained, she said. The Bulkley-Nechako Regional District had issued an evacuation order for the area.
Couch said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters are making good headway on the 700-hectare Copliy Lake fire south of Fraser Lake. Crews are conducting burn-off operations, which are producing significant smoke. Crews are lighting controlled fires to remove fuels between established containment lines and the fire front.
A 500-hectare fire at Tsacha Lake is also now contained, said Couch.
