An evacuation directive has been issued in response to a significant wildfire in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia. This wildfire is affecting 150 land parcels and numerous First Nations reserves.
The Ulkatcho First Nation and the Cariboo Regional District jointly issued the evacuation notice for properties situated east of Tweedsmuir Park and just north of Anahim Lake on Tuesday afternoon. Evacuees are instructed to travel eastward via Highway 20 and proceed to Williams Lake, which is approximately 320 kilometers northeast of Vancouver.
As of Tuesday night, the Beef Trail Creek wildfire has spread over an area of about 60 square kilometers, nearly 15 times the size of Stanley Park in Vancouver. Mikhail Elsay, a spokesperson for the B.C. Wildfire Service, anticipates that the fire will continue to grow in the coming days due to the prevailing hot weather conditions in the region.
Challenges persist as the wildfire service contends with the effects of summer drought, intense heat, dryness, and strong winds daily. The wildfire has led to the closure of Highway 20 near Bella Coola on the Central Coast, reopening on Tuesday evening. However, DriveBC cautioned of reduced visibility due to the nearby blaze, suspected to have been ignited by lightning last Wednesday.
Efforts are primarily focused on preventing the fire from spreading southward and eastward towards Highway 20 and Anahim Lake. The B.C. Wildfire Service is actively combating the blaze with helicopter support and has imposed an area restriction around the fire to aid firefighting operations.
In a subsequent development on Tuesday evening, the Cariboo Regional District issued evacuation alerts for 301 structures located southeast of the initial evacuation zone. An evacuation alert advises residents to be prepared for immediate departure, while an evacuation order mandates immediate evacuation.