Wildfire north of Kamloops forces 125 to flee

An aggressive new wildfire has broken out north of Kamloops, at Bonaparte Lake, forcing an estimated 125 people to flee their homes.

A local state of emergency was declared at about 7 p.m. PT.

All residents within a 1.6-kilometre radius of Bonaparte Lake were ordered out of their homes and asked to report to the emergency social services reception centre at the Interior Savings Centre located at 300 Lorne Street in Kamloops.

Those looking to contact friends and family members in the area are asked to contact the Thompson-Nicola Regional District's emergency operation centre at 250-377-7188 or toll-free at 1-866-377-7188.

Officials say the fire was discovered Wednesday afternoon and quickly grew to cover 150 hectares, including timber killed by the pine beetle.

Smoke from the fire is visible from Barriere and other nearby communities. Residents with health or safety concerns are asked to contact the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

Three tanker planes were on site tackling the fire Wednesday night, and officials said a specialized incident management team was en route.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Earlier Wednesday, an evacuation order affecting about 150 residents of an RV and mobile home park in Kamloops was lifted.

But the park and several hundred more homes in the surrounding area remained under an evacuation alert.

Officials said that fire was more than 50 per cent contained.