District gives 'all clear,' rescinds evacuation alert due to Shetland Creek wildfire

Evacuees return home after devastating wildfire People whose homes and buildings burned in the Shetland Creek Wildfire were recently allowed to return to their properties.

An all-clear notice has been given for most residents placed on evacuation alert or forced from their homes in B.C.'s southern Interior due to a wildfire that was sparked more than a month ago.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has lifted an evacuation alert for about 80 properties along Hat Creek Road, northeast of Lillooet, B.C., and in the Venables Valley area between the communities of Spences Bridge and Ashcroft.

The Shetland Creek wildfire destroyed at least 20 structures, six of which were homes in the Venables Valley in the days after the blaze was first reported on July 12.

The fire is still classified as out of control and has burned 280 square kilometres of forested land on rural properties on the western side of the Thompson River.

The blaze is one of four wildfires "of note" in the province, meaning it's highly visible or poses a threat to public safety and infrastructure.

The BC Wildfire Service says the fire is most active on its southwest corner, where groundcrews are getting support from helicopters and heavy equipment.

Dave MacKinnon is with the wildfire service team tackling the Shetland Creek blaze and says they're feeling "really good" about containment work on the eastern and northern flanks of the fire, where they're "not expecting any further growth."

The number of active wildfires in B.C. is ticking down again after surging over 400.

About 150 of the roughly 390 active blazes are classified as burning out of control.

The BC Wildfire Service says shifting weather systems are bringing cooler temperatures along with the risk of thunderstorms to the central and southern Interior.

Warmer, drier conditions are meanwhile expected to persist in the Okanagan and northwest corner of the province, with daily highs in the 30s.

Despite the changing weather, the service says forest fuels remain dry in many parts of the province, and campfires continue to be prohibited across B.C. with the exception of the Prince George Fire Centre and small area in the northwest.

— With files from CHNL

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2024.