BC fire crews set up sprinklers to defend buildings as blaze grows near Kelly Lake

The BC Wildfire Service says an out-of-control blaze that has triggered evacuation orders near Kelly Lake in the province's northeast is growing in the community's direction, with strong winds forecast to trigger "extreme fire behaviour" on Friday.

The service said in an update Thursday morning that firefighters from several fire departments across the province were working alongside its crews to prepare sprinkler systems to defend buildings in the community of about 75 residents.

"Aggressive fire behaviour is already being observed today. The fire continues to move toward Kelly Lake. This is a high-risk situation," it said.

The BC Wildfire Service said people should not wait to see smoke or fire before they evacuate, noting Highway 52 East remained closed in both directions.

It said winds would strengthen Thursday before an incoming weather system generates winds gusting to 70 km/h that could last through the weekend.

"Extreme fire behaviour is anticipated under these conditions," the wildfire service warned.

The service said more than 100 personnel and 12 helicopters were assigned to the blaze, which spanned almost 74 square kilometres.

The Kiskatinaw River fire is one of two "wildfires of note," the other being the Summit Lake fire, which has burned about 26 square kilometres along the Alaska Highway west of Fort Nelson.

New fire bans were meanwhile being imposed across much of B.C. with a campfire ban imposed on the dry northeast region from noon Thursday.

A ban on larger fires is planned for parts of the province's northwest from noon Friday, while such bans are already in place in the southeast and coastal areas, including Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

There were just under 70 active wildfires across B.C. listed on the wildfire service website on Thursday, more than 60 per cent of which were classified as burning out of control.