The mayor of a northeast British Columbia community threatened by wildfires is warning people who stayed behind in the evacuation zone to stay on their properties and not share images of fire destruction on social media.

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Mayor Rob Fraser said it was 害羞草研究所渋nsensitive害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渦nconscionable害羞草研究所� that images of properties destroyed by the Parker Lake wildfire outside Fort Nelson had been shared before owners were told of the damage by authorities.

Fraser害羞草研究所檚 comments come after videos were posted on social media showing what appeared to be multiple homes destroyed outside Fort Nelson.

The Facebook videos posted this week show large structures reduced to grey ash and twisted metal, scorched vehicles, and tall trees blackened by the side of the road. One video posted Wednesday appears to show firefighters working to protect another home, with smoke shrouding the road.

Fraser said people who stayed behind after Fort Nelson害羞草研究所檚 4,700 residents were ordered to evacuate on May 10 needed to register with authorities to make sure they are part of the co-ordinated firefighting effort.

害羞草研究所淭he law says those people if they害羞草研究所檙e not part of the effort (to fight fires), they need to be staying on their properties if they didn害羞草研究所檛 evacuate when there害羞草研究所檚 an evacuation order,害羞草研究所� Fraser said in an interview on Friday.

害羞草研究所淭he RCMP don害羞草研究所檛 know these people, one from the next, unless it害羞草研究所檚 a fire vehicle, and so they end up stopping somebody in a private vehicle when they should be out there looking for looters and checking properties.害羞草研究所�

One of the residents posting videos to social media is Duane Loe, who said he and about a dozen others stayed behind to protect their properties.

Loe said he was sorry about a video showing destroyed buildings and he didn害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所渢ry to hurt people害羞草研究所檚 feelings.害羞草研究所�

He said he would refrain from filming close-ups in the future but evacuees want to see what害羞草研究所檚 happening with their community and his videos provide that information.

Loe, who has not registered with the BC Wildfire Service or regional authorities, said he and others would continue heading out in the evacuation zone to fight fires, while staying out of the way of police and official firefighters.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not getting in anyone害羞草研究所檚 way. When I see a fire truck or emergency vehicle, I pull over. I don害羞草研究所檛 even allow them to slow down,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e all working on the same goal to keep the town safe 害羞草研究所� We害羞草研究所檙e not little kids anymore. We害羞草研究所檙e not three or four years old. You can害羞草研究所檛 just tell us to go home. We害羞草研究所檙e adults and like I say, we have the experience and that害羞草研究所檚 what we害羞草研究所檙e here to do, it害羞草研究所檚 to help the town and the people.害羞草研究所�

Fraser had previously said that fire damaged some structures on rural properties outside the town, and emergency staff were working to contact owners. But he wouldn害羞草研究所檛 say whether they included homes, or describe the extent of the damage.

He said confirmation of structural damage was only released after the social media videos began appearing, and he didn害羞草研究所檛 want people to find out about damage to their property without being properly informed.

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma told a briefing on Friday that she was aware of structural damage in the early days of the wildfire last week, but there have been no further reports since May 11.

She said RCMP are on duty in Fort Nelson to protect against looting. Ma did not confirm any incidents of looting but said 害羞草研究所渢he last thing anyone needs to know is that looting might be happening in those communities.害羞草研究所�

Ma said the province害羞草研究所檚 worst fears about the fires in the northeast haven害羞草研究所檛 materialized but the region wasn害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所渙ut of the woods害羞草研究所� and the long weekend would be challenging for fire-affected communities.

Ma said she was not asking tourists to avoid B.C. but visiting the Fort Nelson area wasn害羞草研究所檛 recommended.

害羞草研究所淲e have a lot to offer and we want to show it,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎ll that we are asking is that if you are planning a trip to B.C. or the backcountry, just know before you go. Be aware of where you are going and the hazards of that area. Right now is not the time to visit the area around Fort Nelson.害羞草研究所�

Ma said it was still too early to say when people evacuated from Fort Nelson and surrounding areas would be permitted to go home, saying it was 害羞草研究所渁 very active and dynamic situation.害羞草研究所�

Cliff Chapman, the BC Wildfire Service害羞草研究所檚 director of operations, said the evacuation order would remain in place.

The BC Wildfire Service said on its online dashboard Friday afternoon that 125 fires were burning in the province, with 13 extinguished in the previous 24 hours.

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Rainy weather in and around Fort Nelson had aided the fight against both the Parker Lake fire burning 2.5 kilometres west of the town and the Patry Creek holdover blaze 25 kilometres north of the community.

Evan Peck with the BC Wildfire Service said a low-pressure system brought much-needed rain on Wednesday and Thursday, along with cooler temperatures and lower humidity, making for 害羞草研究所渆xcellent害羞草研究所� conditions for fire suppression efforts.

In a video posted by the service late Thursday, the fire behaviour specialist said there had been minimal growth of the Parker Lake fire, which forced the entire community to flee as strong winds fanned the advancing flames.

The fire was mapped at 123 square kilometres in size Friday, slightly lower than an earlier estimate of 127 square kilometres on Thursday.

Peck said the weather had also dampened the much larger Patry Creek fire, a holdover blaze from last year.

害羞草研究所淩ecent weather has reduced the fire behaviour to smouldering ground fire, preventing fire growth,害羞草研究所� he said of the blaze that spans 718 square kilometres.

Peck warned, however, that while conditions should remain favourable over the next several days, it was not enough to break the long-term drought in northeastern B.C.

The BC Wildfire Service said the Patry Creek fire isn害羞草研究所檛 an immediate threat to the town, but conditions can change rapidly if there are strong northerly winds. Winds were expected to be northerly on Friday with an isolated risk of thunderstorms, the service said.

It said more than 100 wildfire service firefighters were responding to the Fort Nelson fires, as well as about 60 structure protection firefighters and 19 helicopters.

The service was in the process of setting up a fire camp at the Fort Nelson airport, as they dug in for the long haul to get the fires under control.

Fraser said the Patry Creek fire complicated the assessment of when residents could return once the threat from the Parker Lake fire diminished.

害羞草研究所淲hile we are doing what we can do down here, we always seem to be looking over our right shoulder to see what that fire is doing and whether or not it害羞草研究所檚 blowing up,害羞草研究所� he said in a Facebook video.

害羞草研究所� By Chuck Chiang in Vancouver and Dirk Meissner in Victoria

The Canadian Press