B.C. fires: wildfire near Harrison Lake grows to 35 hectares
Wildfire near a popular recreation area started Sunday afternoon and quickly grew
A wildfire burning on the west side of Harrison Lake, B.C. has quickly grown to 35 hectares and has prompted RCMP officers to ask people at a nearby campground to leave.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says windy weather has created challenging conditions for fire crews.
RCMP officers have asked campers at the Wood Lake campground, one kilometre away from the fire, to leave as a precaution — although as of Sunday evening no official evacuation order was in effect.
Officers have also blocked the West Harrison Lake Forest Service Road until further notice.
Donna MacPherson with the B.C. Wildfire Service confirmed the Martin Mars water bomber and other water tankers have been deployed to fight the fire, along with about 20 firefighters.
"This fire was completely preventable," said MacPherson. "Right now we don't need any more human-caused fires."
"The unfortunate part is that this fire has affected an area that people like to enjoy."
MacPherson said the road leading into the area has been blocked and people won't be able to access it over the weekend.
The fire started Sunday afternoon and is in a remote area.
With files from Kiran Dhillon