The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued an evacuation order for properties north of Spences Bridge in the Fraser Canyon on Wednesday as two wildfires in the area threaten life and property.
The evacuation order covers 76 properties west of Highway 1, from Spences Bridge, Cook’s Ferry Indian Band, to just south of Ashcroft.
The Shetland Creek Wildfire, first discovered on July 12, has grown to 285 hectares in size and is about 7.5 kilometres north of Spences Bridge.
The Teit Creek Wildfire is now 249 hectares in size and is burning about 5.5 kilometres north of Spences Bridge.
The Kamloops Fire Centre says both of the wildfires are suspected to have been sparked by lightning, igniting trees or other fuels in the area.
The BC Wildfire Service says five helicopters are currently fighting the fire, with BCWS firefighters working overnight into Thursday. There are also two bulldozers, excavators, and a structure protection specialist working on the fire.
“The fire is burning in an inaccessible area on an extremely steep slope, with no road or safe access route. The terrain is very challenging and hazardous to ground personnel,” the BCWS said of the Teit Creek wildfire.
The TNRD evacuation orders come after the Cook’s Ferry Indian Band issued an evacuation order for its Nicoelton reserve on Tuesday night.
The band issued the order “in the interest of life and safety,” while it also put in place evacuation alerts for three more of its reserves.
Meanwhile, the BCWS says more than 30 new wildfires have been sparked in the past 24 hours, with seven of those in the Nelson area.
The province is set to provide an update on the wildfire situation in B.C. later Thursday. You can watch CityNews 24/7 live or listen live to CityNews 1130 to keep up to date with this story. You can also subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.