Several homes have been placed on an evacuation order as a wildfire rages west of Kamloops.
The fire, burning about two kilometres south of the village of Lytton, has been described by the BC Wildfire Service as "aggressive."
Early in the afternoon, the service said the fire was covering a 17-hectare area, but the size jumped to 300 hectares by 7 p.m. They said it is spreading at a "moderate rate," largely due to high winds in the valley. Fortunately, it is moving upslope, away from homes.
So far, 66 firefighters, four helicopters and five airtankers have been assigned to the blaze. The service said 16 firefighters will stay on the site overnight.
The cause is not yet confirmed, but the wildfire service said they believe it is human-caused.
As crews work to gain control of the blaze, several homes are under evacuation order or alert. Those in the area are asked to contact the Lytton First Nation or Thompson Nicola Regional District for more information.
"The area of the evacuation alert has been expanded to include the entire area between the CN train bridge in Lytton north to the Stein River," BC Wildfire Service said.
The fire's approximate location can be viewed on this interactive map.
Follow CTV Vancouver on Twitter for the latest on this developing story.
