Hannah Swift

Crews battling a 215-square-kilometre wildfire near Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia got some unexpected help in the fight. An information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service says the amount of smoke in the area was enough to provide a buffer from the sun’s heat, which had been expected to cause problems for crews at the Stoddart Creek blaze and others nearby. Hannah Swift said there was enough of a break in the smoke to allow crews to launch helicopters to fight the fire about 25 kilometres from Fort St. John. She said the blaze is not believed to have grown substantially in the last 24 hours. …The forecast suggests possible rain over the weekend, although Swift said there’s also the potential for thunderstorms, which could bring lightning.