Fire activity in the area continued last week after lightning moved through the region’s dry forest fuels.
The Peta Mountain Fire is located 20 kilometre north of the north shore of Fraser Lake and was easily visible from Fort St. James with smoke pushing towards the Fort St. James community.
As of August 8, the fire was 25 per cent machine guarded, with an incident management team overseeing the fire.
There were 68 personnel on the fire supported by five helicopters and 17 pieces of heavy machinery.
The fire size was downgraded to an estimate of around 250 hectares and fire activity as of Friday was quieter, with slightly cooler temperatures helping out.
The Duncan Creek Forest Service Road was closed to public traffic as a result of the fire.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation as of last week, and a small group of structures was lost in the initial days of the fire, but no other structures were at risk as of August 8.
A fire near Stony Lake, southeast of Prince George, was estimated at 30 hectares and was being monitored but not actioned due to steep, inaccessible terrain and low timber values.
Another small fire, only estimated between 0.8 and 2 hectares, was reported on August 3 near Witch Lake about 100 kilometres north of Fort St. James on the North Road.
The fire was called out after it was actioned by an initial attack crew and nine unit crew firefighters from Seton Lake.
The crew stopped in at Cottonwood Beach to wash some fire gear on their way through town and attracted notice from some locals as they had obviously been working a fire in the area.
As of August 8, there were 17 active fires in the Prince George Fire Centre area and an open fire ban was in place.
An open fire ban does not prohibit the use of campfires less than half a metre in diameter and half a meter in height.
A fire guard free of any flammable material should be maintained around the fire and must have a shovel or other tool and water on hand.
The fire must be completely extinguished before leaving the area, as any human-caused fires divert critical resources from lightning-caused fires.
To report a wildfire, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cell phone.
