The British Columbia MLA whose constituents include residents of Fort St. John says the town is breathing a collective sigh of relief after the lifting of a wildfire evacuation alert.

But Dan Davies, who represents the Peace River North constituency for the Opposition BC United, says smoke still blanketing the city means he can see about 200 metres today.

Davies said ash had been falling and his voice had become raspy with the heavy smoke that billowed into the city on Monday, as the city about 21,000 residents in northeastern B.C. issued its now−rescinded alert.

The city lifted the measure Wednesday after a change in wind direction aided firefighters in preventing two out−of−control wildfires from advancing closer.

An update on the city’s website says people "can safely resume everyday activities."

Photo Credit: Canadian Press

BC Wildfire Service information officer Hannah Swift says the Stoddart Creek blaze that’s burning 20 to 25 kilometres away from the city is now estimated to be 215 square kilometres in size, down from the earlier estimate of 235 square kilometres.

Environment Canada says winds in the area have shifted from northerly to a more easterly direction, pushing both the Stoddart Creek fire and the smaller Red Creek blaze away from the city.

The Peace River Regional District says 1,362 properties are under mandatory evacuation order in rural areas north of Fort St. John, with residents of small settlements including Rose Prairie, Montney, Buick, and Murdale asked to leave immediately.

Another 649 properties are on evacuation alert just outside the city.

Fire crews say a  lull in dangerous weather gave them a recovery day after wind gusts up to 60 kilometres an hour had pushed smoke plumes into Fort St. John and flames toward the city on Monday.

Swift says crews were able to conduct a controlled burn to remove just under one square kilometre of "unburned fuel" in the path of the fires that could have closed down Highway 97 north of the city.

She says firefighters are watching the forecast closely for another expected stretch of hotter conditions, with potentially problematic winds from the north or southeast, expected to arrive as soon as late Wednesday.