Wildfire Service orders evacuation for properties in B.C.’s Princeton area

VICTORIA — Authorities issued an evacuation order Saturday night for 16 properties in a rural area south of Princeton, B.C., because of the out-of-control Calcite Creek wildfire.

The properties are located near Highway 3 along the Pasayten Forest Service Road, about 40 kilometres south of Princeton, while alerts were issued for nearby properties at Eastgate and Placer Creek.

The province’s Wildfire Service reports eight fires of note in B.C.’s southern regions, including the Dogtooth wildfire south of Golden, which has destroyed 15 structures; the Dunn Creek wildfire located about 100 kilometres north of Kamloops; the Sitkum Creek wildfire northeast of Vernon; and the Shetland Creek Wildfire near Lytton.

A wildfire four kilometres south of the Canada-U.S. border at Oroville, Wash., started Saturday and is visible from nearby Osoyoos, B.C.

The Wildfire Service says it is preparing for increased lightning activity across much of the province’s Cariboo, Okanagan and southeast regions followed by cooler temperatures and high winds.

Officials say there are 333 active fires across B.C., with preparations underway for more lightning-triggered blazes over the coming days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press