B.C. wildfire evacuations grow

An evacuation order has been issued for 50 homes in Pritchard, B.C., just outside Kamloops, after strong winds helped the Martin Mountain fire flare up Thursday.

Lyle Huntley, information officer for the Thompson-Nicola emergency operations centre, said the fire grew aggressively overnight and now covers 200 hectares.

"My understanding, it's taken a bit of a turn, given the weather and the conditions, and has approached very quickly to the community," said Huntley.

The people under the evacuation order have been sent to Kamloops, and another 150 homes in the area are also on evacuation alert, she said.

Kelly Lake evacuation extended

The evacuation order for the Kelly Lake fire — west of Clinton in the Cariboo region — has been extended to include homes around Isadore Road after the 13,000-hectare blaze grew rapidly Thursday and breached containment lines established in recent days.

The previous evacuation for homes along Jesmond and Kelly Lake roads remained in place and residents of nearby Clinton also remained under an evacuation alert.

There was good news for some residents near the Notch Hill wildfire in the southern Interior near Salmon Arm, which is now 1,000 hectares in size and only 40 per cent contained.

Residents north of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks have been told they can return home, although they must be ready to leave again at a moment's notice.

An evacuation order remains in place for the Notch Hill and Tappen-Notch Hill Road areas south of the railway tracks. Residents in the Skimikin Valley also remain under an evacuation alert and another 50 homes in the Turtle Valley are under an evacuation alert.

The Chase Creek wildfire, south of Chase, is still reported as 80 hectares in size and 80 per cent contained.

In the West Chilcotin area, an evacuation order for residents of the Scum Lake area remains in place as the massive 36,000-hectare Lava Canyon fire continues to burn, completely uncontained.