LILLOOET, B.C. - High winds have fanned the flames of a growing forest fire in B.C.'s Interior.
Elise Riedlinger, fire information officer for the Kamloops Fire Centre, said 3,500 hectares of forest were being consumed Saturday by the Tyaughton Lake fire west of Lillooet.
Since Friday, the blaze had grown by 1,500 hectares.
The fire season is off to a raging start compared to last year at this time when only a total of 118 hectares were burning in several area fires, Riedlinger said.
"We're starting out with very dry conditions," she said, adding more high winds were expected later Saturday.
Riedlinger said 28 more firefighters and two extra helicopters joined the effort on Saturday, for a total of 165 firefighters and 11 helicopters that are battling the blaze.
But she says more high winds are expected. And the rain that was forecast for Tuesday will apparently not be showing up to help out.
"It was looking like slight precipitation for Tuesday but now it's looking like hardly any significant precipitation for the coming week or so," Riedlinger said.
Only about 15 per cent of the fire has been contained so far.
The Kamloops Fire Centre is trying to protect buildings near the fire after an evacuation order was issued Friday.
The blaze is believed to have been caused by someone and is under investigation.
Jillian Chimko, a fire information officer with the Prince George Fire Centre, said 13,400 hectares are burning at the junction of the Liard and Smith rivers in northern B.C.
She said the 60 people who were ordered to leave their homes Thursday were allowed to return Friday after the growth of the fire slowed down.
