A wildfire that had prompted brief evacuations of homes outside the southern Interior city of Grand Forks, B.C., is now classified as under control.
The BC Wildfire Service says the Goosmus wildfire that spread north from Washington state this week has grown to nearly seven square kilometres in size, but it’s no longer projected to spread beyond its current perimeter.
An update from the service says the size reflects the “main body of the fire” located in Washington, while a spot fire west of Grand Forks had been put out.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary had issued an evacuation order Wednesday, saying the wildfire was moving north toward the Grand Forks area, and “tactical evacuations” were underway.
A few hours later, the district issued another statement saying the threat had diminished, and the order had been replaced with an evacuation alert.
The wildfire service says it has partnered with its counterparts in the United States to support suppression efforts on both sides of the border.
It says the suspected cause of the fire is human activity.
About 180 wildfires remain active across B.C., with fewer than 20 classified as burning out of control, all of which are located in northern B.C.
