New evacuation order, alerts issued in Squamish

'Challenging conditions' ahead for wildfires near Boston Bar, as evacuation orders, alerts issued across B.C.

Gusty winds, hot, dry weather expected in the Boston Bar firefight

With hot, dry weather in the forecast and gusty winds expected in the Fraser Canyon, B.C. firefighting crews are gearing up for a difficult day battling the Boston Bar wildfire complex.

B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) information officer Morgan Blois said there are still some safe routes to leave the area, but that most communities are essentially "surrounded by wildfire."

Evacuation orders are in place and people have been told to leave immediately, although officials say some residents have chosen to stay.

"We're entering a period of really challenging conditions," Blois said Thursday.

She noted that a layer of smoke that had been moderating fire behaviour has lifted, and said there's potential for "extreme fire behaviour" to happen in the Fraser Canyon in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The three wildfires burning around Boston Bar — the Brunswick Creek, Ainslie Creek and Anderson Creek fires — in total make up about 277.7 square kilometres (27,771 hectares), although Blois noted smoke Wednesday had made it difficult for aviation crews to get an updated look at the size.

Blois said there is a worry that the Anderson Creek and Ainslie Creek fires could join together.

"With the aggressive fire behavior that we're seeing and the rate of spread that we've been seeing in the last few days, it is a big concern."

She stressed that people who aren't evacuating in the communities under order impede BCWS operations, as crews then dedicate resources to public safety that should be focused on structure protection and preventing further wildfire spread.

Highway 1 remains closed in both directions between Spuzzum Creek Road and Jackass Summit due to the wildfire, according to DriveBC.

Motorists are recommended to use Highway 5 as an alternate route.

More evacuation orders, alerts around B.C.

Elsewhere in B.C., evacuation orders and alerts are also in place due to wildfires.

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has issued two evacuation orders and alerts, as has the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Cariboo Regional District and Fraser Valley Regional District.

Clinton, B.C., has issued an evacuation alert for about 495 addressed properties in the village due to the Fiftynine Creek wildfire, which means residents must be prepared to leave on short notice.

Two wildfires near Kimberley, B.C., have triggered evacuation alerts from the City of Kimberley and Regional District of East Kootenay.

EmergencyInfoBC lists current emergencies by last updated date.

There are more than 80 active wildfires burning across the province.