Highway 97 reopened after nearby wildfire forced closure near Fort Nelson, B.C.

The stretch of the Alaska Highway near Fort Nelson, B.C., that closed Monday due to a nearby wildfire has reopened to single lane traffic.

Drive BC announced the update in a post around 9:30 p.m., saying the status could change quickly depending on wildfire activity.

The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze is about 26 square kilometres in size and is burning out of control about 10 kilometres northeast of Summit Lake.

It is one of two "wildfires of note" in the province and prompted the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality to issue an evacuation alert on Monday for the Tetsa River Area.

The wildfire service's latest update says the so-called Summit Lake fire "experienced significant overnight growth" between Sunday and Monday and "continues to display aggressive fire behaviour," growing towards Highway 97.

It says the single-lane alternating traffic is now open between kilometres 580 and 589, but notes that visibility is limited in the area.

The service says there are more than 70 wildfires burning in the province as of Tuesday morning, 50 per cent of which are considered out of control.