First Nation issues evacuation order due to wildfire east of Kamloops near Chase, B.C.
Fire started near Neskonlith band's administration office is currently out of control
A wildfire in the B.C. Interior that has forced some members of a First Nation community to evacuate has grown.
The Neskonlith Indian Band, whose land is located near Chase, B.C., about 200 kilometres northwest of Vancouver and 60 kilometres east of Kamloops, has issued an evacuation order due to the wildfire.
According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, it was first discovered at about 3 p.m. PT Monday, estimated to be four hectares or 0.04 square kilometres in size. Hours later, around 9:40 p.m. PT, the fire was estimated to cover 35 hectares, or 0.35 square kilometres.
The Neskonlith reception office said in a post to Facebook on Monday afternoon that the fire is burning near its administration office off Chief Neskonlith Drive on Harper Mountain Road, with a "mandatory evacuation of all surrounding area."
"Proceed with caution as fire is spreading rapidly," the post reads.
Neskonlith Chief Irwin Wai told CFJC news that the band ordered people in 40 properties to leave.
Wai said they don't believe structures are in danger right now and they hoped B.C. Wildfire Service crews, on land and in the air, would have the fire contained within hours.
He said those who have been ordered to leave should go to the reception centre at the Adams Lake Conference Centre, about five kilometres north of the fire.
The fire is suspected to be human-caused, which is how all fires not caused by lightning are classified.
B.C. Wildfire information officer Taylor Shantz said the fire started near the community, prompting tactical evacuations. Later he said the fire was burning eastward away from homes and buildings.
Tactical evacuations refer to those conducted by emergency crews by going door-to-door or directly contacting those who may be at risk, as opposed to a formal order given through local government.
Social media posts show smoke from the fire blowing into the nearby Village of Chase.
The population of the Neskonlith reserve land is just over 200, though not all would be living in the area affected by the evacuation, while Chase is home to about 2,300 people.
With files from The Canadian Press