Wildfire alert issued for 43 properties
Residents in area between Princeton and Allison Lake Provincial Park told to prepare for evacuation order
An evacuation alert was issued Monday evening for 43 properties along Highway 5A, between the Allison Lake Provincial Park and Princeton.
The areas covered by the evacuation alert are all in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen electoral area H, including McCaffrey, MacKenzie and Dry lakes.
The fire is centred around Dry Lake.
According to the regional district’s operations centre, residents and property owners are strongly advised to prepare for an evacuation order.
The properties are between the 1700- and 2700-blocks of Hwy. 5A, and 103-132 Round Lake.
Hwy. 5A remains open. The Dry Lake wildfire is the most serious in B.C.
It was reported on Sunday afternoon and has grown to just under a quarter of a square kilometre.
There were 29 firefighters and 11 pieces of heavy equipment involved in fighting the blaze, with support from three helicopters.
More than 40 wildfires, all of them under a quarter of a square kilometre in size, are burning in the province after cool, wet weather has slowed the start of the wildfire season.
22 NEW FIRES REPORTED
But the wildfire service reports lightning storms across the southern Interior sparked 22 new fires over the long weekend. The wildfire danger map shows much of the southern quarter of the province is rated as high to extreme, but the majority of B.C. currently faces no more than a moderate risk.
Environment Canada is maintaining a heat warning for the North Thompson region, as temperatures are forecast to nudge 30 C, but cooler weather and rain is expected across B.C. by Thursday.