Prince George, B.C.- A Structural Protection unit will be arriving in Hudson’s Hope today to  set up sprinkler systems in an effort to protect structures from the wrath of the Mt. McAllister  wild fire.

There is some encouraging news  on the  fire says Prince George Fire Centre  Information Officer Jill Kelsh “We actually got come precipitation in the area last night, not a lot,  about 1 – 2 millimeters on different spots of that fire, and we’re actually getting a little bit of rain as we speak.”

While a rain storm can pack winds,  Kelsh says right now,  the fire is “calmer”.

Up until today, the  Mt. McAllister fire was too volatile to  carry out direct suppression effort,  but that has now changed.  “We do have fire fighters that are up there today, as well as heavy equipment” says Kelsh “We are working together with industry on our suppression efforts.”

More accurate mapping has also reduced the size of the blaze,  now estimated to be 16 thousand hectares in size, down from the 20 thousand estimated yesterday.

The fire is  estimated to be  12 to 14 kilometers south of Hudson’s Hope and about  16 kilometers from the Moberly Lakes area.

The evacuation order remains in effect for Hudson’s Hope,  1100 people were  told to leave  their homes yesterday and register at  an emergency  centre set up  in the North Peace Arena  in Fort St. John.