What you need to know about B.C. wildfires for Aug. 4

The latest on the wildfires:

• All nature parks within the City of Kamloops have been closed as of 4 p.m. PT on Friday due to dry conditions and the possibility of fire.
• More residents and businesses allowed to return to Osoyoos as evacuation orders reduced.
• Evacuation notices are still in place due to adestructive wildfire northwest of Whistler, B.C., which now stands at 21 square kilometres near two popular lakes.
• Two properties near Lytton have been ordered to evacuate due to the nearby Stein Mountain wildfire.
• The B.C. Wildfire Service is hoping for "a good day of firefighting weather" Friday as crews work on a fire that has forcedevacuations on the edge of East Adams Lake north of Kamloops, B.C.
• Highway 3 has re-opened west of Osoyoos, B.C., after a smoke-related closure on Thursday.
• There are currently 354active fires in B.C., with 19 fires of note or fires that are highly visible or threatening public safety.
• Learn more about how to find the full list of wildfires, highway closures and evacuation orders and alerts.

The city of Kamloops has closed down all nature parks indefinitely due to wildfire risk in the city.

As of 4 p.m. PT on Aug. 4, all nature parks in Kamloops have been closed to the public due to fire risk, and will remain so until further notice. That includes:

• Kamloops Bike Ranch.
• Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park.
• Kenna Cartwright Nature Park.
• Peterson Creek Nature Park.
• Rose Hill Park.
• Skyline Park.
• Valleyview Nature Park.
• The trail connecting Barnhartvale to Peterson Creek through Juniper Ridge.

The City has also closedthe Barnhartvale Landfill and Yard Waste Depot.

More Osoyoos residents allowed to return

Less than a week after hundreds were forced from their homes by a fast-moving wildfire, more residents and businesses of Osoyoos, B.C., about 3.8 kilometres from the border with the U.S., are being allowed to return.

An evacuation order that includes an industrial area in the townhas been downgraded to an alert as the threat from the Eagle Bluff wildfire recedes, days after it threatened the town before favourable winds pushed it away.

A map from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the Town of Osoyoos shows only a handful of properties remain under an evacuation order, while the rest are under an alert.

However dozens of evacuation alerts and orders remain in place across B.C. as wildfires continue burning under hot, dry weather, including two fires threatening lakeside properties.

Evacuation notices are still in place due to the destructive Downton Lake wildfire northwest of Whistler, B.C., which now stands at 21 square kilometres near two popular lakes.

The fire destroyed at least five properties earlier this week.

WATCH |Fire burns near B.C. cabins, homes as wind suddenly shifts:

Fire burns near B.C. cabins, homes as wind suddenly shifts

1 year ago

Duration 1:11

Beth and Tom Shouldice have been watching the Lower East Adams Wildfire burn near their cabin for days. But a sudden shift in wind caused the flames to come dangerously close to the community east of Kamloops.

Residents of nearly 100 properties near the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire are still beingordered outby the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, while an evacuation alert was posted for 75 more properties in the area about 20 kilometres north of Chase, B.C.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said crews are hoping for calmer, less-windy weather Friday after a good weather day on Thursday.

"At this point ... our job and our goal is to get people back into their houses as soon as possible," said fire information officer Forrest Tower.

Officials with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District are asking boaters to stay away from all areas on the east side of Adams Lake as debris rolls down steep hills from the wildfire.

Steep, inaccessible terrain a common problem

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District also declared a local state of emergency related to the fire, which is now 25 square kilometres in size. Officials said it was likely sparked by lightning on July 12.

The B.C. WildfireService (BCWS) says its crews stayed on the fire lines overnight, structure protection teams were "fully engaged,'' and no buildings had been lost at last report.

Steep, inaccessible terrain and gusty winds were complicating efforts to control the blaze, a problem also faced by crews battling the Downton Lake fire.

An evacuation alert for that blaze was extended Wednesday to include the tiny community of Gold Bridge and several surrounding areas, while the evacuation order covering more than 200 properties surrounding Gun and Lajoie lakes remains posted.

Near Lytton, the TNRD and Lytton First Nation issued anevacuation order for two rural properties nearthe Stein Mountain wildfire, which is burning about 15 kilometres away from Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River.

The 3.33-square-kilometre fire is out of control and burning quickly downslope on steep terrain, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

READ MORE:

• Tourism businesses in locations near wildfires are seeing a dip in visitors.
• Health researchers say more work needs to be done to understand the long-term impacts of wildfire smoke.
• The province says there is no limit on the amount of money it will spend fighting wildfires and supporting affected communities as B.C.'s worst wildfire season on record continues.
• International firefighting teams bring an injection of energy and morale to crews in B.C. and oftena wealth of experience.
• Some of the animal kingdom's smallest citizens have adapted tothrive under wildfires and smoke.

WATCH | Strong winds send fires tearing through B.C. communities:

Fires rip through B.C. communities because of strong winds

1 year ago

Duration 2:47

A wildfire is ripping through the community of Adams Lake, B.C., prompting residents of nearly 100 homes to evacuate. As the province continues to battle its worst wildfire season yet, officials warn more evacuation orders are coming.

Kootenay alert

Late Thursday, the District of Sparwood and the Regional District of East Kootenay issued an evacuation alert for properties west of Highway 43 and north of Sparwood Heights Drive due to the threat posed by the Lladnar Creekwildfire.The alert covered Whiskey Jack, Elk Valley Trailer Park, Upper and Lower Lodgepole Trailer Park, Savarie Road, Savarie Frontage Road and all properties west of the highway up to 6161 Upper Elk Valley Road.

Hot, dry conditions likely to continue

Cliff Chapman, operations director with B.C. WildfireService, said this week would be challenging as hot and dry conditions persist.

The volatile fire conditions forced B.C. Parks to indefinitely close the South Chilcotin Mountains Park because its main access points are through the area threatened by the Downton Lake fire.

Thewildfireservice was reporting 354 active wildfires in British Columbia on Friday, with 179 of those considered out of control and 13fires of note that are either highly visible or pose potential threats to public safety.

Anyoneplacedunderanevacuationordershouldleavetheareaimmediately.

Evacuationcentreshavebeensetupthroughouttheprovincetoassistanyoneevacuatingfrom acommunityunderthreatfrom awildfire.

Tofindthecentreclosesttoyou,visittheEmergencyInfoBCwebsite.

Evacuees are encouraged to register withEmergencySupport Servicesonline, whether or not they access services at anevacuationcentre.

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If you've been affected by the B.C. wildfires and want to share your story, emailcbcnewsvancouver@cbc.ca.