Prince George, B.C. – Mother nature is about to lend a helping hand to firefighters in northeast B.C.

During a teleconference with reporters this afternoon, Forests Minister Steve Thomson said the hot and windy conditions of yesterday have passed.

“We expect cooler temperatures and some rain by the end of the week which will assist. And our BC Wildfire Service is deploying resources to the fires and working in close cooperation with local agencies and organizations.”

The minister said there were 49 new fires yesterday, 37 of them in the Prince George Fire Centre.

Thomson also confirmed that four evacuation orders or alerts remain in place in Baldonnel, Charlie Lake, Hudson’s Hope and South Taylor Hill.

He said the largest fire is near the Beatton Airport Road and is over 3,000 hectares in size.

Thomson said there are also 10 fires over 100 hectares in size in the Peace region.

All together, he said there have been 131 fires to date in the province but says it isn’t always an indicator of the fire season to come.

“These developing conditions are a cause for concern in areas like northeast B.C. but it’s important to note it doesn’t necessarily indicate what the long-term outlook for the fire season will be.”

The wildfires have also forced the closure of the Alaska Highway for an indefinite period of time due to the high winds that are feeding the fire.

The closure affects Highway 97 south of Fort St. John from the 230 Road to the south end of the Taylor Bridge.