Danger from BC wildfires has picked up, several evacuation orders and alerts issued

Danger from BC wildfires has picked up, prompting several evacuation orders and alerts yesterday and early this morning.

More than 300 wildfires are currently burning in the province, with many of the most threatening located in the Cariboo and Kamloops fire centres.

Evacuation orders were issued for more than 1,400 properties in those regions yesterday and several dozen more were added this morning as a new fire in the Okanagan west of Peachland has scorched more than two-and-a-half square kilometres of bush in less than 12 hours.

Elsewhere, the villages of 100 Mile House, Cache Creek, Ashcroft and Savona are all on evacuation alert and wildfires have also closed sections of Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon, Highway 20 in the Cariboo and Highway 97 near 100 Mile House, although fire officials say parts of that key north-south travel route have reopened, but warn Highway 97 could close again on short notice.