Fort Nelson-area mayor 'ecstatic' as rain falls on nearby fires

The mayor of the region around Fort Nelson says he’s “ecstatic” after rain began falling on the northeastern B.C. town that has been threatened by wildfires for almost a week.

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) Mayor Rob Fraser says fires, including the Parker Lake wildfire that forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes, are now being better controlled.

“It’s been raining for several hours here so we’re extremely ecstatic about that,” Fraser told CBC News from south of the town around 6:30 a.m. MT Thursday. He equated the effect of the rain as similar to a “garden hose sprinkler” over the region.

Residents, officials and wildfire crews alike have had their eyes on the weather all week as the Parker Lake fire came to around two kilometres of Fort Nelson’s western boundary.

The fire, last measured at 127 square kilometres in size and still classified as out of control by the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), has damaged structures on several rural properties, Fraser confirmed on Thursday.