Several Wildfires Now “Being Held” in Northeast British Columbia

The wildfire situation in northeast British Columbia has eased significantly over the weekend thanks to cooler temperatures and increased precipitation, Energeticcity.ca reported (7-21-25).

According to an update from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), a slew of fires were downgraded from “out of control” to “being held,” meaning they are no longer expected to spread beyond their current perimeters.

While there have been no changes in their sizes, the following fires have had their status updated:

• Fontas River fire—7,586 hectares (18,745 acres) burned
• Ekwan Creek fire—152 hectares (375 acres) burned
• Townsoitoi Creek fire—4,138 hectares (10,225 acres) burned
• Fontas River west fire—1,660 hectares (4,101 acres) burned
• Shekilie River fire—93,748 hectares (231,656 acres) burned

The reclassifications come as BCWS anticipates drier weather in southern parts of the province, while a cold front continues to bring cooler temperatures and rain to the north.

Meanwhile, the province’s largest wildfire—burning in the Etcho Creek region—remains out of control. It has grown to 275,453 hectares (680,659 acres), up from 262,733 hectares (649,227 acres) as of Friday, July 18.

Three additional wildfires in the northeast are still classified as out of control:

• Liard River fire—3,155 hectares (7,796 acres) burned
• Dunedin and Liard Rivers junction fire—109 hectares (269 acres) burned
• Delkpay Creek fire—discovered Monday, July 21