Evacuation orders, alerts issued for wildfire burning close to highway in Lavington, B.C.

A large number of evacuation orders has been issued by the Cariboo Regional District, and a wildfire near Coldstream is also prompting evacuations.

Residents of more than a dozen properties in the community of Lavington, B.C., have been ordered to evacuate due to a wildfire.

The Noble Canyon blaze was discovered Friday and is estimated at 50 hectares in size, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

The wildfire is considered out of control and suspected to be human-caused.

The District of Coldstream issued evacuation orders for 15 addresses along the north side of Highway 6 and on Noble Canyon Road Friday evening as the flames advanced.

More than 100 properties on both sides of the highway have been placed on evacuation alert.

A local state of emergency has been declared, and the district has activated its emergency operations centre.

Those who have been ordered to evacuate can register for Emergency Support Services online or call the Red Cross at 1-888-800-6493, the district said.

Evacuees are also welcome to visit the municipal hall at 9901 Kalamalka Rd. for assistance until noon on Saturday.

“If you do not have family or friends to stay with and your home insurance does not cover your living expenses during evacuations, you may be eligible for support from the provincial government,” the district said in a statement Saturday morning.

Firefighters from the BCWS remained on site overnight, supported by a night vision helicopter and the Lavington Fire Department, according to the wildfire service, which said the blaze had shown “a decrease in activity” Friday evening.

Additional crews were expected to be on site Saturday, with the support of aerial resources as needed.

“Aircraft may be relying on nearby lakes for water supply,” the BCWS said. “As a reminder, boaters should slow down and vacate areas where water skimming aircraft are operating, preferably moving close to the shore.”

Boaters who try to get a close-up look at firefighting aircraft present “a serious safety risk,” the wildfire service said.

“This behaviour is extremely dangerous and interferes with our ability to fight a fire or practice safely, since aircraft cannot collect water when a boat is in the intended flight path,” it said.