Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area C

Its land, ranked in BC

Shares of the land area, worked out from the Province's maps. Fire perimeters before the 1950s are less complete. A title or a past fire somewhere in the area says nothing about a given lot: a property report checks the parcel itself.

Large fires (1,000 ha or more) since 1990

Since 1990, 24 wildfires of 1,000 ha or more burned in Area C, together 252,265 ha, 9% of its land (ground that burned twice counts once). The most here was the Big Creek wildfire in 2023, 108,657 ha.

1. 2024Unnamed fire R219961,366 ha in all1,366 ha here
2. 2024Unnamed fire G521231,278 ha in all1,278 ha here
3. 2024Deep Creek wildfire1,220 ha in all1,220 ha here
4. 2023Big Creek wildfire176,539 ha in all · 62% of it here108,657 ha here
5. 2023Porcupine Mountain wildfire18,195 ha in all18,195 ha here
6. 2023Klawli Lake wildfire17,334 ha in all17,334 ha here
7. 2023Nation Creek wildfire22,373 ha in all · 65% of it here14,514 ha here
8. 2023Unnamed fire R212179,799 ha in all9,799 ha here
9. 2023Whitefish Lake wildfire6,143 ha in all6,143 ha here
10. 2023Katsberg Creek wildfire5,713 ha in all5,713 ha here

And 14 more

1. 2023Bivouac Creek wildfire1,591 ha in all1,591 ha here
2. 2023Unnamed fire G514741,503 ha in all1,503 ha here
3. 2023Ocock Lake wildfire5,220 ha in all · 10% of it here540 ha here
4. 2021Mount Porter wildfire13,702 ha in all13,702 ha here
5. 2021Klawli Lake wildfire8,438 ha in all8,438 ha here
6. 2018Unnamed fire R1149892,412 ha in all · 25% of it here22,903 ha here
7. 2018Unnamed fire G5163210,602 ha in all10,602 ha here
8. 2018Gromet Hill wildfire2,904 ha in all2,904 ha here
9. 2018Unnamed fire G516342,588 ha in all2,588 ha here
10. 2018Unnamed fire G516532,304 ha in all2,304 ha here
11. 2018Unnamed fire G516361,611 ha in all1,611 ha here
12. 2018Unnamed fire G519281,501 ha in all1,501 ha here
13. 2018Unnamed fire G506141,060 ha in all1,060 ha here
14. 2006Unnamed fire G503931,105 ha in all1,105 ha here

Smaller mapped fires since 2016

Since 2016, the BC Wildfire Service mapped 89 smaller fires (under 1,000 ha) that reached Area C, newest first. This season's are as mapped by November 9, 2026.

1. 2026Unnamed fire G515877.9 ha in all7.9 ha here
2. 2026Unnamed fire G605252.5 ha in all2.5 ha here
3. 2025Unnamed fire G5118129 ha in all29 ha here
4. 2025Unnamed fire G5117921 ha in all21 ha here
5. 2025Unnamed fire G511379 ha in all9 ha here
6. 2025Unnamed fire G513066.2 ha in all6.2 ha here
7. 2025Unnamed fire G511803.5 ha in all3.5 ha here
8. 2025Unnamed fire G503872.4 ha in all2.4 ha here

And 81 more

1. 2025Unnamed fire G512840.6 ha in all0.6 ha here
2. 2024Unnamed fire G51268914 ha in all914 ha here
3. 2024Unnamed fire G52030749 ha in all749 ha here
4. 2024Unnamed fire G41243140 ha in all140 ha here
5. 2024Unnamed fire G5049727 ha in all27 ha here
6. 2024Unnamed fire G5197814 ha in all14 ha here
7. 2024Unnamed fire G505436.3 ha in all6.3 ha here
8. 2024Unnamed fire G511745.3 ha in all5.3 ha here
9. 2024Unnamed fire G517744.7 ha in all4.7 ha here
10. 2024Unnamed fire G614304.4 ha in all4.4 ha here
11. 2024Unnamed fire G619203.3 ha in all3.3 ha here
12. 2024Unnamed fire G505382.9 ha in all2.9 ha here
13. 2024Unnamed fire G519921.7 ha in all1.7 ha here
14. 2023Driftwood River wildfire817 ha in all817 ha here
15. 2023Albert Lake wildfire452 ha in all452 ha here
16. 2023Unnamed fire R21609201 ha in all201 ha here
17. 2023Rubyrock wildfire122 ha in all122 ha here
18. 2023Unnamed fire G5154232 ha in all32 ha here
19. 2023Unnamed fire R2162220 ha in all20 ha here
20. 2023Unnamed fire G607058.5 ha in all8.5 ha here
21. 2023Unnamed fire G616997.2 ha in all7.2 ha here
22. 2023Unnamed fire G512847.1 ha in all7.1 ha here
23. 2023Unnamed fire G516145.7 ha in all5.7 ha here
24. 2023Unnamed fire G519024.9 ha in all4.9 ha here
25. 2023Unnamed fire G507874.3 ha in all4.3 ha here
26. 2023Unnamed fire G517584.1 ha in all4.1 ha here
27. 2023Unnamed fire G603013.2 ha in all3.2 ha here
28. 2023Unnamed fire G506152.9 ha in all2.9 ha here
29. 2023Unnamed fire G609172.6 ha in all2.6 ha here
30. 2023Unnamed fire G111472.3 ha in all2.3 ha here
31. 2023Albert Creek wildfire2.1 ha in all2.1 ha here
32. 2023Unnamed fire G529171.8 ha in all1.8 ha here
33. 2023Unnamed fire R130951.7 ha in all1.7 ha here
34. 2023Unnamed fire G514911.5 ha in all1.5 ha here
35. 2023Tatchie River / S… wildfire1.2 ha in all1.2 ha here
36. 2023Unnamed fire G528711.1 ha in all1.1 ha here
37. 2023Unnamed fire G529961 ha in all1 ha here
38. 2023Unnamed fire G518230.7 ha in all0.7 ha here
39. 2023Skog Mountain wildfireunder 0.1 ha in allunder 0.1 ha here
40. 2022Deescius wildfire58 ha in all58 ha here
41. 2022Unnamed fire G5192048 ha in all48 ha here
42. 2022Unnamed fire G6130814 ha in all14 ha here
43. 2022Unnamed fire G5135012 ha in all12 ha here
44. 2022Unnamed fire G517947.8 ha in all7.8 ha here
45. 2022Unnamed fire G515266 ha in all6 ha here
46. 2022Unnamed fire G519253.9 ha in all3.9 ha here
47. 2022Unnamed fire G604652 ha in all2 ha here
48. 2021Camsell Lake wildfire309 ha in all309 ha here
49. 2021Unnamed fire G51212152 ha in all152 ha here
50. 2021Unnamed fire G5116011 ha in all11 ha here
51. 2021Unnamed fire G518479.7 ha in all9.7 ha here
52. 2021Chucchi Lake wildfire7.3 ha in all7.3 ha here
53. 2021Unnamed fire G525581.1 ha in all1.1 ha here
54. 2019Unnamed fire G501912.3 ha in all · 56% of it here1.3 ha here
55. 2018Unnamed fire G61633967 ha in all967 ha here
56. 2018Unnamed fire G61571102 ha in all102 ha here
57. 2018Unnamed fire G5122275 ha in all75 ha here
58. 2018Unnamed fire G5068444 ha in all44 ha here
59. 2018Unnamed fire G5164134 ha in all34 ha here
60. 2018Unnamed fire G5229514 ha in all14 ha here
61. 2018Unnamed fire G505748.1 ha in all8.1 ha here
62. 2018Unnamed fire G505987.6 ha in all7.6 ha here
63. 2018Unnamed fire G516385.6 ha in all5.6 ha here
64. 2018Unnamed fire G506674.9 ha in all4.9 ha here
65. 2018Unnamed fire G508914 ha in all4 ha here
66. 2018Unnamed fire G505883.3 ha in all3.3 ha here
67. 2018Unnamed fire G506572.3 ha in all2.3 ha here
68. 2018Unnamed fire G615492.1 ha in all2.1 ha here
69. 2018Unnamed fire G605332 ha in all2 ha here
70. 2018Unnamed fire G606062 ha in all2 ha here
71. 2018Unnamed fire G512811.8 ha in all1.8 ha here
72. 2018Unnamed fire G605801.5 ha in all1.5 ha here
73. 2018Unnamed fire G529031.2 ha in all1.2 ha here
74. 2018Unnamed fire G515380.4 ha in all0.4 ha here
75. 2018Unnamed fire G530480.2 ha in all0.2 ha here
76. 2017Unnamed fire R20937122 ha in all122 ha here
77. 2017Unnamed fire G5083940 ha in all40 ha here
78. 2017Unnamed fire G5083411 ha in all11 ha here
79. 2017Unnamed fire G509046.5 ha in all6.5 ha here
80. 2017Unnamed fire G504023.7 ha in all3.7 ha here
81. 2016Unnamed fire G403372.5 ha in all2.5 ha here

Small fires that were never mapped as a perimeter aren't listed: the BC Wildfire Service maps an outline for only some of the fires it records. Past fire is history, not a forecast. The chance of fire on a lot today depends on what the record doesn't show: the forest and grass around it, the slope, what has been thinned or burned since, and how far it is from a fire hall. Every BC season and large fire since 1990.

Sources: BC Wildfire Fire Perimeters – Historical, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Perimeters – Current, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Incident Locations – Historical, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Locations – Current, BC Wildfire Service (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), as published on November 10, 2026; 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence). Outlines simplified and places measured by PlaceDossier.

How the land burned

On the Province's ecosystem map, Area C's land is 65% NDT3 (burned in large fires about every 100 to 150 years), 30% NDT2 (burned in large fires about every 200 years) and 5% NDT5 (alpine tundra and subalpine parkland). Its main biogeoclimatic zones are Sub-Boreal Spruce (60%) and Engelmann Spruce–Subalpine Fir (35%). This is how the land burned before fires were put out, not its fire risk today. A report names the type over a lot. Every place's natural fire regime.

Source: BEC Map (biogeoclimatic zones and natural disturbance types), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), read 2026-10-12; areas worked out on the census boundaries.

Evacuations since April 2017

Since April 2017, the Province's record holds 4 wildfire events with an evacuation order or alert over Area C, 1 with an order. The latest order: Big Creek Wildfire, September 2023.

1. 2024Pitka CreekJuly 2024 · evacuation alert · Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako556 homes
2. 2023Big Creek WildfireSeptember 2023 · evacuation order · Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako
3. 2023Albert Lake WildfireJuly 2023 · evacuation alert · Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako9 homes
4. 2018Shovel Lake WildfireAugust 2018 · evacuation alert · Regional District Bulkley-Nechako and Nak'azdli Whut'en First Nation924 homes

Listed when an order or alert area covered at least 5% of the land in Area C, or lay mostly in Area C and held at least 5% as many homes as the 2021 census counted there. An order means people were told to leave; an alert, to be ready to leave. Homes are the record's own counts, area by area, shown where the areas lie mostly in Area C. The Province's record starts in April 2017: earlier evacuations aren't in it. A lot's report checks every order and alert over the lot itself, and any in effect now.

Sources: Historical Orders and Alerts, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), as published on November 2, 2026; 2021 census subdivision boundaries and dwelling counts, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence). Each order and alert area placed in the municipalities and electoral areas it covers by us.

Evacuations for floods, landslides and other hazards since April 2017

None of the flood, landslide or other non-fire evacuation orders or alerts in the Province's record since April 2017 covered 5% or more of the land or homes in Area C.

Sources: Historical Orders and Alerts, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), as published on November 2, 2026; 2021 census subdivision boundaries and dwelling counts, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence). Each order and alert area placed in the municipalities and electoral areas it covers by us.

103 landslides are recorded inside Area C in the Preliminary Canadian Landslide Database (version 14.0), including 61 earth slides, 13 rock slides and 11 mountain slope deformations. The latest with a date of its own: a debris avalanche, 16 Jun 2022 (listed under “Gillis Mountain”). The database lists slides known to have happened, mapped from inventories, satellite images and lidar. It isn't a hazard map, and some parts of BC are mapped in far more detail than others. Landslides near a given lot.

The Province lists 7 dams in Area C, none classed High or above for the harm a failure would do downstream. One of them is recorded as breached (failed). The class rates what a failure would do, not how likely one is; a report names the dams within 1 km of a lot. Dams in BC, by place.

6 Water Survey of Canada gauges in Area C have 5 or more years of yearly peak flows: Omineca River above Osilinka River peaked highest at 1,090 m³/s in 2007 (47 years on record), Tsilcoh River near the Mouth peaked highest at 81.4 m³/s in 2020 (44 years on record) and Driftwood River above Kastberg Creek peaked highest at 151 m³/s in 2017, equalling 2007 (41 years on record), among others. 2 set their record in the last 10 years. A gauge's record is the river where it stands, not a flood line; a report gives the nearest gauge on a river by the lot. River gauges in BC, by place.

Radon

In the Northern Interior health region, 25 of the 208 homes tested (12%) in Health Canada's 2009–2011 survey were at or above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline; across BC, 143 of 1,817 (7.9%).

The survey tested about a hundred volunteer homes per health region, with one long-term test each. That gives a rough regional picture: it isn't a map, and a region where few or none tested high can still have homes above the guideline. The only way to know is to test the home: radon and buying a home in BC.

Source: Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011), Health Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Health Service Delivery Area Boundaries, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

Check one lot: has it burned? · is it on a floodplain map? · is it behind a dike? · is there a dam nearby? · landslides nearby? · contaminated sites nearby? · radon? · how much is too steep?

Source: Agricultural Land Reserve polygons, Agricultural Land Commission (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Fire perimeters – historical, BC Wildfire Service (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Preliminary Canadian Landslide Database, version 14.0 (May 2026), Brideau et al. (CC BY 4.0); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

The Province's monitoring records hold groundwater samples from 8 wells in Area C, 2007 to 2008. The median passed Health Canada's limit for arsenic (1 well) and manganese (1 well). A report names the nearest sampled wells within 10 km of a lot. A neighbouring well isn't your water: test your own. What BC's well water tests for, by place.

Mapped aquifers

7 mapped aquifers lie in Area C, most wells first.

1. 1Aquifer 373: Fort St. James at mouth of Stuart Lakeconfined sand and gravel (glacial)19 wells · high productivity
2. 2Aquifer 374: Fort St. James bounded by Stuart Lake and Pitkakarstic limestone14 wells · low productivity
3. 3Aquifer 377: Fort St. James - west of Stuart Riverconfined sand and gravel (glacial)10 wells · moderate productivity
4. 4Aquifer 375: Fort St. James bound by Necoslie River and Stuartkarstic limestone8 wells · low productivity
5. 5Aquifer 666: North shore Stuart Lake; northwest of Fort St. Jamesconfined sand and gravel (glacial)6 wells · moderate productivity
6. 6Aquifer 376: Fort St. James - south of Stuart Lake shorelineconfined sand and gravel (glacial)6 wells · moderate productivity
7. 7Aquifer 378: Fort St. James - east of Stuart Riverconfined sand and gravel (glacial)3 wells · low productivity

An aquifer is listed for each place that holds at least a twentieth of it, so a sliver of one at the edge can be left out. Wells and productivity are for the whole aquifer, which can reach well beyond Area C. The province maps aquifers mostly in settled valleys, so a lot outside every outline can still have groundwater. Every mapped aquifer in BC · sampled lakes.

Sampled lakes

9 sampled lakes lie in Area C (2 only partly), largest first.

1. 1Babine Lake467 km² · 20% of it hereclarity 5.2 m (2016–2025)
2. 2Stuart Lake359 km² · 99% of it hereclarity 4.9 m (2016–2025)
3. 3Germansen Lake18 km²too few readings to judge
4. 4Nina Lake2 km²too few readings to judge
5. 5McKnab Lake1 km²too few readings to judge
6. 6Unnamed lake in the Takla Lake watershed (1 km²)1 km²too few readings to judge
7. 7Munro Lake (Nation River watershed)82.9 hatoo few readings to judge
8. 8Skunk Lake48 hatoo few readings to judge
9. 9Unnamed lake in the Stuart River watershed37.2 hatoo few readings to judge

A lake is listed for each place that holds at least a twentieth of it or 100 ha of it. Clarity is the median summer Secchi depth; the nutrient class is our reading of Carlson's index from phosphorus or chlorophyll, not a provincial rating. Either is given only for a lake with at least 10 summer readings from open water, spread over at least 3 different years, since 2012. Most lakes have never been sampled, so a lake missing here may simply have no record. Every sampled lake in BC.

Source: Groundwater wells (GWELLS), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Ground Water Aquifers, Water Protection and Sustainability Branch, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); BC Environmental Monitoring Data System (EnMoDS) results, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

The BC Energy Regulator maps about 30 km of active oil and gas pipeline in Area C, permitted to 2 companies: Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Ltd. and Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. About 54 km more is on recent permits it lists as new. A report lists any pipeline within 200 m of a lot, and flags one within 30 m, where digging needs the permit holder's agreement. Pipelines in BC, by place.

The Province lists 30 active waste discharge authorizations in Area C; the commonest kinds: sawmill or other primary wood processing (8), soil amendment (biosolids or other wastes spread on land) (7) and landfill, transfer station or other solid waste site (5). Of these, 6 may discharge to air, 10 effluent to water or land and 7 refuse to land. A report lists any within 2 km of a lot, and flags one whose point is on it. Permitted discharges in BC, by place.

The Province maps one open gravel pit or quarry in Area C: Dog Creek Operations; and 45 other open mine permits: 25 placer mines, 16 mineral exploration permit areas and 4 mineral exploration or mine permit areas. A report lists the permits within 2 km of a lot, names an open pit or quarry within 500 m and flags one whose permit area takes in the lot. Gravel pits and mine permits in BC, by place.

On ParcelMap BC, the land in Area C is 1% private, 7% Crown land with a parcel drawn (6% with no title); no parcel is mapped over 92%, likely most of it untitled Crown land, with lakes and road allowances. A report says who owns the land along a lot's line. Crown land next to a property, and every place's land by owner.

The Ministry of Forests maps 6 active Crown range tenures (6 grazing) reaching into Area C, over 20% of its area, licensed for about 911 animal unit months of grazing a year in all. Outside a pound district, keeping livestock off a lot is the owner's fence to build. A report lists any tenure within 1 km of a lot. Open range and grazing in BC, by place.

The Province maps 111 registered traplines over nearly all of the area and 23 guide outfitter territories over 97% in Area C. The maps are drawn over titled land too, but traplines are registered on Crown land: on titled land, anyone but the owner or occupier needs their written permission to trap. A report says whether either takes in a lot. Traplines and guiding territories in BC, by place.

Area C lies in wildlife management units 7-28 (27%), 7-27 (18%), 7-38 (17%), 7-25 (16%), 7-26 (12%): the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis sets seasons and closed areas by unit. Hunting and shooting on your own property.

BC Parks maps 19 parks and protected areas (Babine Lake Marine Park - Hook (Deep Bay) Site, a provincial park; Babine Lake Marine Park - Sandpoint Site, a provincial park; Mount Blanchet Park, a provincial park; Mount Pope Park, a provincial park; and 15 more) reaching into Area C, over 8% of its land. Recreation Sites and Trails BC lists 26 sites there. A report names the nearest park and recreation site within 25 km of a lot. Parks and recreation sites in BC, by place.

Check one lot: is there a mineral claim? · power lines nearby? · pipelines nearby? · a gravel pit nearby? · a landfill or plant nearby? · logging planned nearby? · cattle on open range? · is there a trapline? · can I hunt on it? · a park nearby? · Crown land next door?

Source: Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

Census figures are from 2021; the next census results start in 2027. Area boundaries are Statistics Canada's census subdivisions, which follow municipal and electoral area lines. The places named at the top are the official place names in the area (BC Geographical Names) with the most 2021 homes nearer them than any other name, on ISED's home points: our reading.

Source: Census of Population 2021, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence); BC Geographical Names, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Pseudo-Household Demographic Distribution (2021), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada).