A park in Pemberton, B.C., has been ordered to evacuate and several properties within the town are on evacuation alert due to a nearby wildfire. The human-caused Signal Hill blaze was discovered Wednesday afternoon five kilometres from Highway 99, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. As of Thursday afternoon, it had burned 38 hectares. The orders and alerts were issued by the Village of Pemberton and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District late Wednesday night for the community roughly 30 kilometres north of the resort town of Whistler. Officials asked the public to stay out of One Mile Lake Park to leave crews space to safely work. In an update, BCWS said crews worked through the night to fight the fire. Provincial firefighters, the Pemberton Fire Department and helicopters are on scene. It said the wildfire is burning in heavy timber with Rank 2 and 3 fire behaviour, which means low-to-moderately vigorous surface fire. Officials warned smoke may be highly visible from Highway 99 at Portage Road. The BCWS says structures are not currently at risk. Mila De, manager at the Pemberton Hotel, told The Canadian Press that she was “really freaking out” on Wednesday and started packing up her car to prepare to flee. But she said conditions appeared to be improving Thursday. “I only see smoke coming from the mountain and that’s it,” she said. Officials are bracing for fire activity to increase Thursday amid hot and dry weather and lightning in the forecast. As of Thursday morning, there were 31 active wildfires in B.C., 14 of which started in the previous 24 hours. With files from The Canadian Press
