White Rock Lake wildfire responsible for half of B.C.'s evacuation orders
One major fire burning in the B.C. Interior is now responsible for about half of all evacuation orders issued in the province.
The White Rock Lake wildfire has been burning since July 13 and is currently estimated at 32,500 hectares. For the last 24 hours, crews have faced sustained winds of around 25 km/h, gusting up to 40 km/h.
“Wind gusts are expected to increase fire activity and challenge suppression efforts,” said Rob Schweitzer, director of fire centre operations with the BC Wildfire Service. “Strong winds are forecast again for tomorrow.”
Of particular concern is the northeast boundary of the fire. New evacuation orders were issued for hundreds of properties along Highway 97 on Wednesday night, and the road is now closed.
The fire burning between Kamloops and Vernon has jumped across Highway 97 just south of Monte Lake and continued growth is expected.
More information on the fire can be found on the BC Wildfire Service website.
Officials say the fire is responsible for putting more than 2,000 properties under evacuation order. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 4,228 properties were under evacuation order across the entire province.
Those living in the wider vicinity of the White Rock Lake fire are also being warned to stay on alert.
“I urge you to maintain a heightened level of awareness of this evolving situation over the next 48 hours and please be prepared in advance for a potential evacuation alert or order,” Schweitzer said.
Officials say most of the 8,309 people currently registered as evacuees in B.C. have found accommodation, including in hotels. But many of the properties impacted are on farmland with livestock.
This week, the Township of Armstong, north of the White Rock Lake fire, opened the campground to evacuees “wishing to self contain camp on site and/or house livestock.”
There are now 292 wildfires considered to be active in B.C., according to the provincial wildfire service's interactive dashboard. Of those, 108 were sparked within the last week. A little over one-tenth of the fires were ignited in the last two days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.