File photo.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
July 20, 2015 - 5:08 PM
ASHCROFT - B.C. Wildfire crews are battling an aggressive lightning-caused wildfire south of Ashcroft today and locals are now on evacuation alert.
The fire was called in around 1 p.m. this afternoon, July 20, and quickly grew to 120 hectares. By 6 p.m. the fire had grown to 600 ha.
Properties on North Road, Landon Road, 4515 and 4525 Highway 97C are under evacuation alert according to the Thompson Nicola Regional District. The fire is between the villages of Ashcroft and Logan Lake.
Fire Information Officer Kelsey Winter says the fire, which is located just northwest of Highland Valley Copper and west of Coldstream Creek, is zero per cent contained, but wind is blowing the fire away from 28 properties under the alert. Forty-nine firefighters, three helicopters, four pieces of heavy equipment and six air tankers have been deployed to the fire.
The fire is growing quickly and fire suppression efforts are challenged by strong winds along with hot and dry conditions.
Crews are also battling several other wildfires in the Southern Interior, including one near Salmon Arm and a six-hectare fire near Falkland. Winter says details on the Salmon Arm fire wre limited because crews were just arriving to investigate at around 4:30 p.m.
“There’s been 36 new starts since the storm last night,” Winter notes.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
-This story was updated at 6:24 p.m., July 20, 2015, to include an update on the size of the fire and include information on an evacuation alert.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015