Battleship Mountain wildfire downgraded as rain, cooler temperatures help crews control flames

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said Sunday that the Battleship Mountain fire burning in northeastern B.C. near the town of Hudson's Hope is now classified as being held.

What was the province's largest fire this wildfire season started to slow down in recent weeks, thanks to cooling temperatures and rain in the Peace River region.

As of 10 a.m. Monday, officials said the fire will no longer be considered a wildfire of note.

In a series of posts on Twitter, the wildfire services said "sufficient suppression action has taken place and the fire is not likely to spread beyond boundaries under current and forecasted conditions."

Crews will remain on site to patrol control lines and fell so-called "danger trees" — trees that that appear sturdy and have little damage on the outside but are actually burned through and could topple over without warning.

The BCWS says spruce trees are quite common in the region and have a shallow root collar that makes them more susceptible to this type of damage.

While the fire is no longer growing, it still covers an estimated 317 square kilometres, which is around twice the size of Salt Spring Island. 

At its peak, it came within four kilometres of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and eight kilometres of Hudson's Hope. The municipality of 1,000 residents was forced to evacuate, but that order was lifted on Sept. 17.

The wildfire service says the Johnson Forest Service Road will remain closed as firefighters continue to suppress the fire and deal with the remaining hazards.

It says smoke from the perimeter of the fire will still be visible in the weeks to come.