Status of Alaska Highway could change quickly due to wildfire near Fort Nelson

A stretch of the Alaska Highway west of Fort Nelson, B.C., reopened to single-lane alternating traffic later Tuesday, but British Columbia's driving information service says the status of the route could change quickly based on a nearby wildfire.

The DriveBC website shows the out-of-control Summit Lake wildfire is affecting a roughly 162-kilometre stretch of the route, which is also known as Highway 97.

The route between Grouse Trail and Toad Mountain Road has closed and reopened to single-lane alternating traffic multiple times since Monday.

The BC Wildfire Service says that although maintaining access to the highway is a priority, the safety of crews and the public is its primary objective.

It says the Summit Lake fire spans about 26 square kilometres and is one of two "wildfires of note" in the province.

The service's latest update says the blaze experienced growth overnight Monday, though it had not continued to spread in the direction of Highway 97.

"Much of this fire is in incredibly difficult and inaccessible terrain," the service's bulletin says. "Ground crews are prioritizing work in accessible areas and helicopters are providing overhead support."

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has maintained an evacuation alert for the Tetsa River area in response to the blaze.

To the east, the Fort Nelson First Nation issued an evacuation alert Tuesday for its Fontas reserve, where three wildfires are burning near Sikanni Old Growth Park.

In the northeast, the Peace River Regional District issued a third evacuation order and a fourth evacuation alert Tuesday night for the Kiskatinaw River area.

The nation says the area southeast of Fort Nelson, B.C., includes one inhabited home and "many cultural sites."

The number of wildfires in B.C. ticked down below 70 on Tuesday, more than half of the active blazes classified as burning out of control.