Wildland firefighters battling a blaze in northeastern B.C. were preparing for a challenging weekend as strong winds could push flames closer to the small community of Kelly Lake, about 80 kilometres south of Dawson Creek.

Karley Desrosiers, a fire information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, told a news conference Friday that strong southwest winds the day before had pushed the Kiskatinaw River fire north and south of Kelly Lake.

While the flames didn’t reach the community of about 75 residents, an eight- to nine-kilometre stretch crossed over the Alberta boundary, she said.

A cold front Friday, which was forecast to begin around 5 p.m., was expected to shift what she called “strong, erratic, gusty winds.”

“So the wind will be pushing the fire from the northwest towards the south

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