People living near 100 Mile House in British Columbia's Interior are picking up the pieces after a raging wildfire forced a dozen people from their homes on Friday night, and put hundreds more on evacuation alert.

Two houses were destroyed, but firefighters quickly moved in to help protect the area.

When June and Randy McRoberts came home on Saturday afternoon, they didn't know if their house would be there.

"I was really upset, I still can't stop shaking, my insides, they wont settle down," said June McRoberts.

A grass fire turned into a huge blaze near 100 Mile House on Friday afternoon. It destroyed two neighbouring homes and was on the McRoberts' doorstep. Fortunately for them, the flames stopped just in time.

"It was about 60 feet from the house, too close for comfort,'' said Randy McRoberts. "It was scary when we realized how close it was."

Others weren't so lucky. The fire burned through 150 Buffalo Creek post office, which had been standing for more than 50 years, was reduced to rubble.

Many more buildings were saved as 40 firefighters worked overnight. They used heavy machinery to build a fire guard and bury the flames. Three helicopters dropped water and fire retardant

"I can't say enough good things about them,'' said Randy McRoberts.

Fire crews will remain on the scene as long as necessary.

"The fire is being closely monitored and we are carefully monitoring the weather,'' said Grace Pickell of the Cariboo Fire Centre.

Officials say only a few hot spots have yet to be put out -- but it's still dry and the fire risk is far from over. Residents here are praying for rain -- and for no wind -- so the fire doesn't start spreading again.

Meanwhile, firefighters in West Kelowna took no chances with a brushfire that flared up on Friday, immediately calling in forest service firefighters and water bombers.

The fire was in a so-called urban-forest interface area, said city spokeswoman Kirsten Jones.

Police were put on alert in case nearby homes had to be evacuated.

Five aircraft, seven forestry ground firefighters and 15 West Kelowna firefighters were able to knock down the blaze in about 30 minutes but were kept busy afterward dealing with hotspots and building a fire guard.

Kelowna was the scene of a massive 2003 wildfire that razed a subdivision in the Okanagan city and forced about 50,000 people to flee their homes.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Jon Woodward and from The Canadian Press