Highway 1 reopens amid Shetland Creek wildfire fight

Wildfire fight intensifies in central B.C. The B.C. Wildfire Service says a pair of blazes south of Burns Lake showed extremely vigorous behaviour Friday.

A stretch of highway closed Sunday due to the out-of-control Shetland Creek wildfire has now reopened, according to local officials.

In a brief update posted on social media Tuesday afternoon, Ashcroft Fire Rescue Chief Josh White said Highway 1 has reopened in the area.

The road closed on Sunday between Spences Bridge and Cache Creek as the wildfire fight intensified.

The Village of Ashcroft sits between those two locations, and has been on evacuation alert since Friday. Orders and alerts are also in place in Cache Creek, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, the District of Logan Lake and on several First Nations reserves in the area.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the B.C. Wildfire Service estimated that the Shetland Creek wildfire was nearly 200 square kilometres in size. More than 150 firefighters are battling the blaze, along with dozens of structure protection personnel, 27 pieces of heavy equipment and nine helicopters.

On Monday, the TNRD confirmed the fire had burned more than 20 structures in the Venables Valley area, with six of those confirmed as primary residences.

While Highway 1 has reopened, the area remains under a travel advisory from DriveBC because of the Shetland Creek fire, and the road "may close on short notice."

"Non-essential travel to and within fire-affected areas is discouraged to help avoid traffic congestion on evacuation routes," the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement on fire-related road closures Monday.

"If people must travel on Interior highways adjacent to wildfires, drivers should ensure they are prepared for possible delays or closures. Travel with a full tank of gas, food, water and other emergency supplies."