'Aggressive burning conditions' fuel growth of B.C.'s Shetland Creek wildfire

More aggressive fire behaviour is expected Monday on the Shetland Creek Wildfire, which has destroyed structures, forced evacuations and led to the closure of a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway in south-central B.C.

Additional evacuation orders were issued Monday by the District of Logan Lake and the Thompson Nicola Regional District. An emergency support services centre has also been opened in Merritt to support evacuees. The latest evacuation orders and alerts are available on the EmergencyInfoBC website.

In an online update, the B.C. Wildfire Service estimated the blaze's size as nearly 200 square kilometres, as hot, dry and windy conditions continue to fuel its growth.

"Today, July 22, is forecasted to be hot and dry similar to yesterday, which will result in aggressive burning conditions with increased fire behaviour," the service said, adding that winds could reach 40 km/h and "fuels remain dry and susceptible for ignition."

The fight against the fire is a 24-hour-a-day operation and crews worked overnight Sunday, using a night-vision helicopter to perform reconnaissance from the air and deploying personnel on the ground to protect threatened structures, according to the BCWS.

The fire is "highly visible from nearby communities," the update says, also noting that the decision to close Highway 1 between Spences Bridge and Cache Creek was made Sunday evening as a public safety measure.

The Village of Ashcroft, with a population of roughly 1,500, is one of the communities on evacuation alert as a result of the blaze. The local fire chief told CTV News Sunday that people are nervous but his firefighters are prepared, along with those from nearby Cache Creek.

"They're ready. We've got pre-planning in place as to how we're going to tackle this thing if it moves into our area. We're geared up, and we're actively just getting everything secured and ready for this fight if it should come our way," Josh White said.

He also wants to reassure residents that provincial crews and police have things in hand.

"Being out there and patrolling and seeing the crews, how they're working – they're doing a magnificent job. I'm very thankful for them," he said.

In an update over the weekend, the BCWS said they were in the process of setting up a camp, anticipating the fight is far from over.

"Very challenging fire conditions moving forward," Evan Peck, a fire behaviour specialist predicted. "Given that we're in the middle of summer still, and with what we've seen for fire behavior and current fire size, this fire is essentially going to be around for quite a long duration."