Tackling BC’s Largest Ever Wildfire Means Letting Some of It Burn, Province Says

Aerial view of the Donnie Creek Wildfire is shown in this handout image provided by the BC Wildfire Service. The Canadian Press/HO-BC Wildfire Service

Mark Healey, an incident commander with the BC Wildfire Service, says he took a 2 1/2 hour flight over the southern flank of the enormous Donnie Creek fire in northeastern British Columbia.

“I never saw either end of the fire,” says Healey, who’s in the middle of a two-week stint managing what is B.C.’s largest ever wildfire. At 5,500 square kilometres, it is almost as big as Prince Edward Island.