Mark Healey, an incident commander with the BC Wildfire Service, says he took a 2 1/2 hour flight over the southern flank of the enormous Donnie Creek fire in northeastern British Columbia.

B次元官网网址淚 never saw either end of the fire,B次元官网网址� says Healey, whoB次元官网网址檚 in the middle of a two-week stint managing what is B.C.B次元官网网址檚 largest ever wildfire. At 5,500 square kilometres, it is almost as big as Prince Edward Island.

Tackling it demands a shift in tactics. Instead of striving to extinguish the vast blaze, the BC Wildfire Service is focused on protecting homes and infrastructure, while letting other areas burn.

The service says it may be winter before the fire is out.

With a perimeter of more than 900 kilometres, the fire is burning across a remote area about 160 kilometres north of Fort St. John, where the forests and vegetation are thick and numerous roads are only available in the winter, Healey says.

He says those factors add to the challenge of ensuring the safety of more than 250 wildfire service personnel currently assigned to the blaze.

The service is using controlled burns to steer the fire toward rivers, lakes, areas that have burned in previous years, or patches of deciduous trees that are less flammable than the conifers prevalent throughout the boreal forest, Healey says.

B次元官网网址淲e use our planned ignitions to bring the fire to somewhere on our terms, rather than have that happen with a wind event or as the forest dries out.B次元官网网址�

Around homes, communications towers and other infrastructure, including gas-industry operations, Healey says, B次元官网网址渢hatB次元官网网址檚 where weB次元官网网址檙e actively fighting the fire.B次元官网网址�

An update from the wildfire service says tackling such a large blaze means B次元官网网址渕onitoringB次元官网网址� the fire where itB次元官网网址檚 not threatening communities and infrastructure.

The service says it expects the Donnie Creek blaze will burn into the fall, before possible extinguishment in winter. It could also continue smouldering, only to re-emerge next spring.

That usually occurs where thereB次元官网网址檚 a thick layer of B次元官网网址渄uffB次元官网网址� or decaying needles, leaves and other woody debris coating the forest floor, it says.

The Donnie Creek blaze accounts for more than 60 per cent of nearly 8,700 square kilometres of land charred by wildfires in B.C. since April 1. That dwarfs the 20-year average of about 162 square kilometres for the same time of year.

The lightning-caused fire that was discovered on May 12 grew as it overtook six smaller blazes that added to its record-breaking size, the wildfire service says.

The service lists more than 60 active fires throughout the province.

Despite a recent cooling trend with some localized precipitation, it says drought conditions will persist in many areas until thereB次元官网网址檚 a period of prolonged rain.

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