Wildfire prompts evacuation order, highway closure in northeastern B.C.

A wildfire has prompted an evacuation order and highway closure in northeastern British Columbia near the border with Alberta.  An evacuation order was issued Thursday for a few properties around Kelly Lake Road and Kiskatinaw Pit Road — along the highway and including Kelly Lake — due to the Kiskatinaw River Wildfire, according to an alert issued by the Peace River Regional District.

Residents in the area of Kelly Lake and the areas north of Campbell Lake, west of Tent Lake, south of Twin Lakes, and east to the Alberta border should evacuate immediately as the fire poses a threat to human life, the alert said. Residents can head to the Sudeten Hall in Dawson Creek.      The Peace River Regional District did not share how many properties are affected by the order.      The B.C. Wildfire Service said Wednesday's hot weather, followed by a cold front Thursday, brings the potential for high winds and dry lightning strikes, prompting the service to deploy additional crews to the northeast as a precaution.