Evacuation orders, alerts issued for properties south of Smithers, B.C., due to wildfire

A wildfire near Smithers in northwest B.C. has led to dozens of properties being placed on evacuation order, and hundreds on evacuation alert.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Powers Creek blaze three kilometres south of the town covers an area of 20 hectares as of Saturday morning.

In a tweet Friday night, the BCWS said the fire was spreading moderately fast, and multiple pieces of heavy equipment — including aerial resources — would work to contain it overnight.

The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako issued an evacuation order for 51 properties west of the Telkwa River, accessed off of Tatlow Road, at 11 p.m. Friday.

An evacuation alert covers 206 properties in the vicinity of the fire, according to the regional district.

The district also issued evacuation alerts for a fire southeast of the Powers Creek fire along Highway 16.

The BCWS said Friday that the Tatin Lake wildfire was displaying a high rate of spread, covering an area of six hectares north of Highway 16.

The evacuation alert covers nine properties north of the Endako River, accessed by Savory Road.

There are currently six “fires of note” — those which are particularly visible or pose a threat to public safety — burning across the province.

While the majority of them are located in northern B.C., the Davis Lake fire east of Mission in the Fraser Valley led to public warnings Friday.

The uptick in fire activity comes as a heat warning covers the inland sections of Central Coast, the North Coast and much of the Interior.

Environment Canada says the extreme heat is expected to stay until early next week.

Special weather statements also warn of poor air quality due to wildfire smoke across the north and central Interior.

An evacuation alert means residents should prepare to evacuate their homes, possibly with little to no notice. An evacuation order means a resident should leave immediately.