B.C. wildfires continue to burn as wet weather approaches

The wildfire situation innortheastern B.C. remains largely unchanged Saturday, but two large firesnorth of Fort St. John continue to burn.

The Beatton Airport Road fires continues to be about12,000 hectares in size withits closest point remaining 45 kilometres away from Fort St. John.

It had been listed as 85 per cent contained, but B.C. Wildfire Service says that number is now inaccuratesince the fire merged with the nearby Stoddard Road fire on Thursday night. Crews are re-assessing both the fire's size and level of containment today.

The fire nearSiphon Creek, about 90 km northeast of Fort St. John,grew slightly overnight. It's now estimated tobe about 24,000 hectares in size, up from the 17,000 hectares estimated the day before. Crews say most of that growth was to the north and east as wind gusts pushed the fire further into Alberta.

The two fireshave together resulted in about 1,000 peoplebeing displaced.

Crews say cooler weather hit the area overnight and that similar weather today couldreducethe growth of those fires.

"We are anticipating a cloudier day with a chance of showers [and] some winds in the afternoon," said Emily Epp, fire information officer for the Cariboo Fire Centre.

"How the weather will affect the fireswill depend on whether they get any of that forecasted rain. We'reanticipating some rain tomorrow as well."

Epp says the province is urging the public to follow all open-burning prohibitions.

"The majority of the fires in the Prince George Fire Centre have been human-caused and due to open burning," said Epp. "We've also handed over about 10 fires to conservation officers as arson investigations."

There are currently about 80 wildfires burning in the province.