(Vernon) Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes around the now-closed section of Highway 97 in the interior of British Columbia, reaching an area of about 550 square kilometers.
According to a recent announcement by the British Columbia Forest Service, officials expect the flames to spread as the winds continue to blow.
The most significant development occurred in the eastern part of the fire, which is very visible to the surrounding communities. In some areas, it is 100 to 250 meters from the west bank of Lake Okanagan.
South and southwesterly winds in the region are expected to reach 40 km / h. Isolated showers are expected to provide “a little rest” over the weekend. However, hot and dry weather is expected to return from Monday.
The incident has been going on for three weeks. He crossed Highway 97 on Thursday before crossing the Monte Lake campground near a provincial park about 40 kilometers southeast of Kamloops.
Evacuation orders and warning notices are in effect from the suburbs of Kamloops, west of the fire, to Chase, north, and several other areas such as Vernon and Enterphy.
The eviction order has been issued by the Central Okanagan Regional District. It affects more than 2,100 properties on the west bank of Lake Ogunagan, north of western Kelona, while residents of more than 800 other properties must be prepared to leave at short notice.
People evacuated from the area between Ewings Landing and La Gaza on Friday evening were allowed three hours on Saturday to collect vehicles and other essential items, the regional district said in a statement.
There are about 290 wildfires active throughout British Columbia. About 30 are a threat to public safety.
A total of 67 eviction orders affecting 5,650 properties are in effect. Occupiers of 25,000 other properties have been placed on alert.
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