As the Tyaughton Lake blaze continues to spread, residents of nearby Gold Bridge, B.C., are preparing to evacuate their homes.
Twenty-five homes near Lillooet have already been evacuated, and some residents of Gold Bridge are already packing up in anticipation of the call.
Tire shop owner Pioneer Paul is already prepared to leave, and spent Monday clearing fire hazards away from his store.
"My truck's packed up and ready to go," he said. "I have my food and camper and all my gear in the truck."
Related: Wildfire burning near Lillooet continues to grow
Gold Bridge resident Judy Hartman says the town is used to this kind of fire alert.
"This is earlier than normal, but every summer we worry about it," Hartman said.
"Soon as somebody tells you to go, you go. That's just it."
To prevent the spread of fires in B.C., the provincial government has allotted $37 million to the clean up of fire hazard areas since 2003.
So far, $19 million has been spent and 35 thousand hectares have been cleared - but forestry economist Tom Hobby says it's just the tip of the iceberg.
"We're still sitting on a large, million-plus hectares of hazard," Hobby said.
"That's a lot of fuel out there that could again result in large wildfires."
The Lillooet forest fire alone is currently covering 800 hectares - twice the size of
"If these dry-warm conditions continue, this might continue to pose some problems to firefighters,' Fire Information Officer Kim Steinbart said Monday.
Dry weather has seen the number of fires in the province jump dramatically - from 280 in 2008 to 368 this year -- and Steinbart says most of them are caused by people.
Related: B.C. Wildfire Management Branch prevention tips
"We are asking the public to help prevent these person-caused fires," Steinbart said. "These fires are preventable."
A 24-hour public information line is available at 1-866-417-4132, and road closure information is availble at 1-800-550-4997.
With reports from CTV British Columbia's Penny Daflos and Kent Molgat
