Prince George, B.C. – There are numerous communities in the BC interior which have now been placed under Evacuation orders or alerts.

Last night Evacuation Orders were issued for the following:

-Fraser River, Polley Lake, Moffat Creek, 150 Mile House

-properties east of Clinton and east of 70 Mile House

-several properties within Clearwater

-Electoral Area “A” in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Evacuation Alerts were issued for:

-McLeese Lake to Kersley

-Green Lake south

Several fires also broke out in the Lake Country area of the Okanagan on Saturday.  As a result, an Evacuation Order is in place for 331 properties within the Okanagan Centre area including homes along a section of Okanagan Centre Road West, Nighthawk and Tyndall Roads.  Residents are registering at the Emergency Support Services reception centre at the Salvation Army Church on Sutherland Avenue.

As well, residents of 657 properties are on Evacuation Alert and must be prepared to leave on short notice should conditions change.

The provincial government says at least 17,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to wildfires while 27,000 are on alert to be prepared to leave on short notice.

There are 161 fires burning in the province today, and weather conditions and strong winds conducive to the spread of wildfires are expected to continue through much of interior BC today.

There are also a number of highway closures and restrictions which have been issued:

-Highway 24 westbound is closed to traffic except for evacuation traffic from Little Fort to Highway 97 at 100 Mile.

-Highway 97 south from Williams Lake to Highway 24 is open for evacuation purposes only.

-Highway 97 in both directions is closed from Williams Lake to McLeese Lake due to forest fire.

-Highway 97 is closed southbound between 25 kms south of Quesnel to McLeese Lake due to forest fire.

Check the DriveBC website for further information.