Evacuation alert issued as crews battle massive wildfire in B.C. Interior

The B.C. Wildfire Service is responding to the Swede Creek blaze near Comstock Lake, southwest of Prince George, B.C. (Handout)

An evacuation alert was issued Tuesday afternoon due to a large wildfire burning out of control in British Columbia’s Cariboo region.

The regional district said the Swede Creek wildfire poses “potential threats to health, safety, and the welfare of persons” and urged those in the alert zone to prepare to flee at a moment’s notice.

The blaze near Comstock Lake, southwest of Prince George, was discovered Monday and measured 200 hectares before growing dramatically overnight, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

By Tuesday morning, the fire was estimated at 750 hectares with significant suppression efforts underway.

By the afternoon, the fire had reached an estimated 1,300 hectares and was displaying an organized flame front with occasional candling, the provincial wildfire service said in an update.

The agency describes ‘candling’ as the rapid ignition of a single tree or a clump of trees, typically from the bottom up.

Seventy-three firefighters are responding to the blaze along with heavy machinery and aircraft that are dropping water and fire retardant as required.

The wildfire service says the cause of the fire is still under investigation while crews work to establish water access and create guards around the site.

There were 18 active wildfires burning in B.C. on Tuesday afternoon, including five sparked within the last day, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.