BC Mayor Hopes Wildfire Evacuees Can Return to Fort Nelson Early Next Week

Firefighters working the Parker Lake wildfire, designated G90267 by the B.C. Wildfire Service, are seen in a staging area along Highway 97 looking south with a water bladder and fire hose set up among charred grassland in a May 15, 2024, handout photo. The Canadian Press/HO-BC Wildfire Service

The mayor of the regional municipality that includes Fort Nelson, B.C., that was evacuated due to a threatening wildfire says local officials are pushing for a May 27 or May 28 deadline to start allowing about 4,700 residents home after nearly two weeks.

Rob Fraser says the “imminent risk” posed by the Parker Lake fire has been reduced, and officials are focused on rolling out a phased approach to residents’ return.