Strong winds fuel flames of raging wildfire near Lillooet, B.C.
Steep terrain and extremely dry conditions have hindered fire crews' efforts to combat a wildfire in B.C.'s Cariboo Region.
The fire was spreading Monday afternoon after strong winds kicked in, provincial officials said.
About 200 firefighters, 13 helicopters and 46 pieces of heavy equipment were involved in tackling the blaze near Tyaughton Lake, about 120 kilometres west of Lillooet, the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch said.
The fire has scorched approximately 40 square kilometres of land and is still growing, said information officer Mary Ann Leach.
"The main part of the fire that's very aggressive and is moving right now is towards the east, and that encompasses the areas of Liza Lake, Carol Lake, and Marshall Lake," she said Monday afternoon.
An evacuation order was issued Monday for Marshall Lake, Liza Lake and Carol Lake. The evacuation order issued last week for Mud Creek, Tyaughton Lake and Gun Creek Road remains in effect. About 60 people have been affected so far by the wildfire, which was first spotted on May 29.
There are several road closures in the immediate vicinity of the wildfire, including Highway 40 in both directions from Gold Bridge to Mission Dam because of the risk of falling rocks and debris.
The fire is "complex and challenging" due to the steep terrain, dry conditions and inaccessibility of the areas, Leach said.
About 15 per cent of the fire has been contained, but hasn't been controlled.
"It is important to note that parts of the fire are incredibly steep, difficult terrain and inaccessible to ground crews, so we are basically fighting it from the air," Leach said.
The wildfire doubled in size over the weekend, fuelled by strong winds and dry conditions.
Officials said it's believed the fire was caused by people, but the details are under investigation.
Smaller blaze burns in Kelowna
Meanwhile, another aggressive forest fire is burning southeast of Kelowna, B.C., approximately 12 kilometres beyond the city limits.
Two helicopters and 20 firefighters were working to contain it on Monday, Leach said.
"The very interesting thing about this fire is we're two weeks away from the official start of summer, and the conditions that we're seeing on the ground are very similar to what we'd see in mid-August," she said.
Officials said the blaze was sparked Sunday afternoon by lightning, and is roughly seven hectares in size.
The flames are close to Myra Canyon, but are not yet threatening historic rail trestles in that area.
Those trestles were recently rebuilt after several burned in a massive wildfire that was sparked in 2003 and destroyed more than 200 homes in the Kelowna area.