VANCOUVER Hundreds of residents northwest of Kamloops, B.C., have been asked to be ready to leave their homes at a moment s notice due to the Sparks Lake wildfire, which has grown to an estimated 40 square kilometres since Monday. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued new evacuation alerts Wednesday afternoon for 298 properties in the Loon Lake and Hiham Lake areas. That was on top of 150 properties already impacted in the Deadman, Red Lake, Tranquille Valley & and Vidette Lake areas. More than 25 properties near Red Lake have been ordered to evacuate, up from nine on Tuesday. And as of Wednesday afternoon, 56 firefighters and 10 helicopters were fighting the flames.
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Mayor Jan Polderman issued the evacuation order Wednesday and said on Twitter that the wildfire was threatening structures and the safety of residents who dealt with a high temperature of 49.6 C on Tuesday.
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“All residents are advised to leave the community and go to a safe location,” Polderman said. “Information regarding emergency support services will be announced as it becomes available.”
Erica Berg, a provincial fire information officer, said the evacuation order was issued about an hour after the blaze began but she did not know the size of it.
B.C. wildfire map 2021: Location and size of the fires burning around the province Amy Judd
After record-breaking heat hit B.C. in late June, it appears the wildfire season has started.
There are now six wildfires of note burning around B.C., with many starting due to the tinder-dry conditions and lack of recent precipitation.
Forty-one active fires are burning in the province with 26 started in the last two days.
Zoom into and move around the map above to see the location of the wildfires in B.C.
George Road Wildfire
Officials ordered the evacuation of the community of Lytton, B.C., Wednesday evening, just one day after the village shattered the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada for three consecutive days.
B C Wildfires Map 2021: Updates on fires, evacuation alerts/orders vancouversun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vancouversun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order in B.C. village that set Canadian heat wave record
The Sparks Lake wildfire burns near Lytton, B.C. in this Wednesday, June 30, 2021 handout photo. A fast-spreading wildfire led to an immediate evacuation order Wednesday night for residents of the British Columbia village of Lytton as many scrambled to escape as flames threatened buildings. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Jo-Anne Beharrell MANDATORY CREDIT June 30, 2021 - 11:57 PM
LYTTON, B.C. - A fast-spreading wildfire led to an immediate evacuation order Wednesday night for residents of the British Columbia village of Lytton as many scrambled to escape as flames threatened buildings.