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Wildfire west of Burns Lake sparks evacuation order

Fire forces evacuations

People living in the vicinity of a wildfire burning west of Burns Lake have been ordered to evacuate their homes with authorities saying the out-of-control blaze poses an immediate danger to lives.

Orders were issued on Wednesday at 10 p.m. by the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako and the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.

The affected area is centred on Rose Lake, extending about 10 km to the west, on both sides of Highway 16 and encompassing Bulkley Lake to the south. The

Duncan Lake Indian Reserve #2 is included while Highway 16 and the CN Rail line remain open.

The orders were issued response to a wildfire at Bulkley Lake, listed by the B.C. Wildfire Service as out of control and measured at 250 hectares.

An evacuation alert, meanwhile, remains in place for the Cutoff Creek fire, southwest of Prince George.

Issued Monday afternoon, the alert spans from about 60 kilometres south along Kenney Dam Road to Knewstubb Lake and six kilometres west of Kluskus Forest Service Road along the Natalkuz 500 Road to Knewstubb Lake.

As of Wednesday evening, the fire was listed at 1,589 hectares with crews and equipment working to secure the south flank of the fire with aerial support, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

As well, an evacuation alert issued Tuesday by the Cariboo Regional District remains in place for the Hanham-Titetown area in response to a wildfire at Purdy Lake, listed at 90 hectares

"Ground personnel have completed danger tree assessments and falling. Today, the personnel will establish a hose lay and blackline and conduct small-scaled ignitions to remove fuels from the fire edge and containment line," B.C. Wildfire Service said in a posting.

"Heavy equipment will conduct night operations to continue to establish a fuel free guard."

One other wildfire of note continued to burn southwest of Prince George.

The Chilako fire was listed at 1,471 hectares but is not considered an interface fire and no alerts or orders have been issued.

"Control lines have been established and hand-lit burn operations are being conducted to clean up pockets of unburnt fuel. Crews had notable success on the fire yesterday with burn operations," B.C. Wildfire Service said a posting.



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