Prince George, B.C. – The Philpott Road wildfire burning above Highway 33, about 20 kilometres east of Kelowna, remains out of control.

The Central Okanagan Regional District indicates the fire, which was sparked on Thursday, is estimated to be 465 hectares in size.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Approximately 1,100 people remain out of their homes under an Evacuation Order but so far there are no reports of damage to homes and there have been no significant changes to the fire, thanks to favourable weather conditions.  Flames have been spotted within one kilometre of some homes, however.

Highway 33 is still closed and the regional district says people deciding to use a detour route via McCulloch Road are advised to use extreme caution and drive no more than 35 km/h as that is not a regularly maintained route and is only recommended for non-commercial, passenger vehicles.

An interactive map of the area under evacuation order is available at www.cordemergency.ca