A forest fire, which has forced the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway in both directions south of Lytton, B.C. continues to grow.
The 55-hectare fire, which started at the base of Jackass Mountain, 250 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, has taken a turn to the east in the Fraser Canyon.
Sixty firefighters along with a rappel crew and three helicopters are battling the blaze which was sparked by an RV that caught fire on Sunday afternoon.
The Jackass Mountain fire is the largest of the 150 new forest fires that recently started across the province after a series of lightning storms swept over the southern and central Interior.
Most of the fires are small but provincial fire information officer Kim Steinbart says a few are still being targeted with an initial attack crew of three people.
She says fire assessment teams take into consideration location, proximity to homes or property and the manpower available when they prioritize fire resources.
Steinbart says they also consider whether the fire is burning in pine-beetle infested forest because those fires tend to burn hotter and faster.
A 20-person crew is battling a four-hectare fire sparked by lightning in Gillard Creek in South Okanagan Mountain Park.
