B.C.'s fluid wildfire situation prompts evacuations for some, relief for others

The wildfire situation in British Columbia remains fluid as nearly 300 fires are blazing, but even though drought conditions persist in the southern half of the province and fire risk is still extreme, there are some small signs of improvement.

Evacuation alerts covering the Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks and several surrounding areas north of Kamloops have been lifted as crews work to contain a nine-square kilometre blaze.

Elsewhere, an evacuation order posted earlier this week in southeastern B.C. for nearly 200 properties along the Slocan River has been downgraded to an alert for most residents, while Drive BC, an online traveller information system, says Highway 1 north of Hope has reopened, three weeks after it was cut by a wildfire that destroyed the village of Lytton.

The BC Wildfire Service says crews are making headway battling a fire that now covers 10 square kilometres near Sicamous.

The service says the fire, sparked Tuesday, is still out of control but has been growing away from the Shuswap community and crews are making good progress holding a guard.

The blaze is one of 39 wildfires of note among the nearly 300 fires currently burning in BC.