New evacuation orders in B.C. Interior as large wildfires grow

The two largest wildfires raging in B.C.'s Interior forced two new evacuation orders on Wednesday afternoon. 

The evacuation order prompted by the Elephant Hill fire — which is now over 80,000 hectares — has expanded to include an area to the southwest of Clinton, which is already under an evacuation order. 

Fire information officer Heather Rice said the order, which affects over 100 properties, is connected to a controlled burn that quickly got out of hand on Tuesday. 

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Further north, an evacuation order prompted by the C10812 wildfire to the west of Quesnel — which is now over 35,000 hectares — has expanded to include the Tatelkuz Lake Area. 

Those evacuated are asked to register at the emergency reception centre at 500 North Star Road in Quesnel.

Fire crews across B.C. are bracing for an "extraordinarily" hot stretch of weather forecast to begin Thursday, which could be followed by dry lightning over the weekend.

"Until we see a significant downturn in temperatures, and certainly until we see any rain, it is only going to get drier out there," said Kevin Skrepnek, B.C.'s chief fire information officer.

With the weekend's forecast calling for thunderstorms in many parts of the province, he said the province's 3,300 fire crews are anticipating a "significant number" of new fires if lightning were to strike without rain.

There was some good news on Wednesday, as one evacuation order — for the Wildwood community just north of Williams Lake — was lifted in the early evening. 

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