As Fort St. John faces yet another evacuation crisis, community members in the Peace River region are channeling hard-learned lessons from previous disasters. Thousands fled their homes Tuesday as a massive fire southwest of the city intensified overnight, bringing back haunting memories of 2023’s devastating wildfire season.
“We’re seeing the same grim pattern, but our people know the drill now,” explained Mayor Lilia Hansen during yesterday’s emergency briefing at the Northern Sport Centre. “When I saw that plume rising Tuesday morning, I knew immediately we weren’t taking chances this time.”
The fire, which officials estimate has already consumed over 6,000 hectares, was sparked by lightning strikes following an unusually dry April. BC Wildfire Service data shows precipitation rates in northeastern BC fell 40% below seasonal averages this spring, creating ideal conditions for early-season wildfires.
For Peace River residents, this evacuation marks an unwelcome return to uncertainty. Local business owner Martin Creighton packed his family’s essentials in just 15 minutes when the alert came through. “Last time, I hesitated. This time, I grabbed the emergency kit we’ve kept ready since 2023 and we were on the road before they even made it mandatory,” he told me at the evacuation centre in Prince George.
Provincial resources have mobilized quicker than during previous emergencies, with Emergency Management BC coordinating 17 water bombers and over 200 firefighters. But the rapid response hasn’t calmed local anxieties about climate change’s intensifying impact on the region.
A BC government climate assessment published in March predicted northeastern BC would face a 30% increase in wildfire frequency by 2030. Fort St. John sits at the epicenter of this troubling forecast, battling both petroleum industry pressures and increasingly volatile weather patterns.
“We’re essentially the canary in the coal mine,” explained Dr. Marjorie Vincent, climate researcher at UNBC. “The data shows these regions are warming faster than southern parts of the province, extending fire seasons and creating more dangerous burning conditions.”
The evacuation order currently affects roughly 22,000 residents, with reception centres established in Dawson Creek, Prince George, and Grande Prairie, Alberta. Provincial emergency officials expect the order to remain in place for at least a week, depending on weather conditions and containment progress.
Despite improved emergency protocols since 2023’s devastating season, gaps remain in long-term recovery planning. The province’s Wildfire Recovery Framework, released just two months ago, emphasized infrastructure resilience but left questions about community trauma support unaddressed.
Trina MacIntosh, who lost her home in 2023 and now faces a second evacuation, hasn’t found the promised support. “The government talks about ‘building back better,’ but my insurance claim is still processing from last time. Where exactly am I supposed to go now?” she asked as she registered at the evacuation centre.
BC’s Minister of Emergency Management, Bowinn Ma, visited Prince George yesterday, promising additional resources for displaced residents. “We’ve allocated $12 million specifically for northeastern wildfire response this season, recognizing the unique challenges facing this region,” Ma stated during her tour of evacuation facilities.
However, local officials question whether reactive funding matches the scale of the problem. Regional District Chair Brad Sperling pointed to unimplemented recommendations from post-2023 reviews. “The province identified critical fuel management work around our communities that simply hasn’t happened,” he explained during an emergency coordination call I attended Wednesday morning.
For Indigenous communities in the region, the evacuations carry additional cultural significance. Doig River First Nation Elder Margaret Acko described watching sacred lands burn for a second consecutive year. “These aren’t just trees to us. These are our medicine cabinets, our classrooms, our churches,” she said. “Each time we evacuate, we leave pieces of our identity behind.”
Climate scientists warn this pattern represents the new normal.
