Firefighters from Brazil pose with their country's flag on the tarmac before boarding a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft at Abbotsford International Airport, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Sunday, July 23, 2023, for a flight to Prince George where they will be deployed to various areas to assist with the wildfires burning in the province. The 100 firefighters from Brazil will join the approximately 500 international firefighters who are already in the province assisting more than 2,000 provincial personnel battling hundreds of fires. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
VANCOUVER – A wildfire in southeastern British Columbia that was first spotted Monday afternoon has charred three square kilometres in less than 24 hours and is threatening more than 1,000 properties, including a ski resort, west of Invermere.
The BC Wildfire Service says smoke and challenging flying conditions have prevented accurate mapping of the blaze in mountains 10 kilometres west of Invermere and seven kilometres north of Panorama Mountain Resort.
The Regional District of East Kootenay ordered evacuations late Monday for 25 properties and several recreation sites.
People in more than 1,000 other properties, including the resort, have been told to be ready to leave on short notice.
Strong winds are complicating firefighting efforts around Invermere and on the St. Mary’s River wildfire near Cranbrook, about 130 kilometres to the south.
But the wildfire service says control lines are holding on the 41-square kilometre Cranbrook-area blaze, although evacuation orders and alerts are still posted.
South of Kamloops, officials say cooler weather and a trace of rain helped calm the 26 square-kilometre Ross Moore Lake wildfire, but flames have claimed at least one remote cabin, while more than 300 properties remain on evacuation order.
The wildfire service reports more than 450 active fires across B.C., most caused by lightning, with 264 ranked as out of control.
Almost 15,000 square kilometres of land has burned, surpassing a record set at the end of the 2018 wildfire season.
