Dangerous situation: Aggressive wildfire burns near B.C.-Alberta border [Video]

B.C.’s wildfire season has begun with one community under an evacuation order and others under evacuation alerts.

About 100 residents of Kelly Lake, northeast of Prince George near the Alberta border, have been ordered to evacuate. The out-of-control Kiskatinaw River wildfire is now within one kilometre of the town and covers nearly 12,000 hectares.

According to the BC Wildfire Service and Alberta Wildfire, the fire advanced rapidly on Thursday towards Alberta, where the County of Grande Prairie issued an evacuation order for a rural area, and an alert to be ready to flee for the region surrounding it. (Details on the areas affected can be found on the Alberta Emergency Alert website.)

“Last night, windy conditions drove this wildfire closer to the Alberta border. Spot fires, which are small fires that start from embers, are now on the Alberta side of the border,” Alberta Wildfire said in an update Friday morning.