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Tactical evacuation expands for Gustafsen fire near 100 Mile House.

Properties on Abel Lake Rd, Helena Lake Rd, Lilypad Lake Rd and Exeter McKinnley Rd being evacuated
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11:50 p.m. A tactical evacuation is currently taking place for properties on five different roads near the 103 and 105, according to the Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre’s Facebook page.

Specific properties on Abel Lake Road, Helena Lake Road, Lilypad Lake Road, Tatton Station road and Exeter McKinnley Road are being evacuated at this time.

According to the post, the RCMP are going door to door to contact the people being evacuated.

To see the map of the newest evacuations, scroll to the bottom of the page or download from the Cariboo Regional District.

Throughout the night, updates on the fire will be available via the BC Wildfire website on their wildfires of note page at bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca or by calling the fire information line at 1-888-336-7378.

For information on evacuations or evacuation orders, check out the Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre’s Facebook page or call the Emergency Operations Centre’s public information line at 1-250-398-5117.

To see photos from throughout the day, scroll to the bottom of this page.

If you’ve been evacuated and want to talk to the Free Press, or have photos or video you’d like to contribute, please email newsroom@100milefreepress.net.

9:45 p.m. The Gustafsen fire near the 105 is now estimated to be 500 hectares, says Natasha Broznitsky, Cariboo Fire Centre Information Officer.

Heavy smoke and the onset of the evening has made it difficult to determine the exact size of the fire.

Broznitsky says the plan is for crews and heavy equipment to work through the night to establish containment lines.

The wind is expected to die down overnight, she added.

Five properties have currently been evacuated. A spokesperson for the Cariboo Regional District said that they were unaware of any properties being damaged at this time.

8:45 p.m.: According to CRD Chair Al Richmond, “Five properties have been evacuated in the Able Lake area. The 108, 105, and 103 are not under an evacuation order or an evacuation alert. Unfortunately, there are reports of a gentleman in a green truck visiting homes in the 108 and 103 communities telling people to leave their home, this has been reported to the RCMP.”

“The 108 Fire Department is on standby at the fire hall should an emergency arise. An ESS Reception Centre has been established at the 100 Mile House Curling Club on Airport Road in 100 Mile House. If you need transportation assistance from the area please call 250-398-5517.”

7:15 p.m.: Five properties in the Tatton Station Road area have been evacuated by the Cariboo Regional District’s (CRD) Emergency Operations Centre.

An evacuation order is now in effect for four properties along Tatton Station Rd and one on Abel Lake Rd.

Evacuees are encouraged to register at an evacuation centre set up at the curling rink on Airport Road in 100 Mile House.

The full evacuation orders are available at http://www.cariboord.ca/.

The fire is now estimated at 380 hectares says Keven Skrepnek, chief fire information officer for BC Wildfire.

There are 60 firefighters working on the fire with firefighters and heavy equipment.

“As we go into the evening, typically we see temperatures go down a bit and the humidity goes up a bit but we’ll just have to see what the weather does. If it stays steadily windy then it could keep growing but the hottest part of the day is past,” he says.

“In the grand scheme of things usually fires start calming down in the next couple hours.”

RCMP has set up roadblocks throughout the area and fire crews and heavy equipment will work through the night to establish control lines.

Skrepnek says that an incident management team is en route to take over command and co-ordination of the fire suppression efforts tomorrow morning.

For up to date information on evacuations, the public is encouraged to visit the CRD’s Emergency Operations Centre Facebook page.

For an evacuation map see the photos at the bottom of the page or visit the CRD’s website.

5:53 p.m.: Tactical evacuations are underway on specific properties, according to the Cariboo Regional District’s Emergency Operations Centre Facebook page.

An evacuation centre has been set up at the curling rink on Airport Road in 100 Mile House. The Emergency Operations Centre encourages all evacuees to register at that location.

The fire has now reached 260 hectares.

5:30 p.m.: The fire west of 100 Mile House has grown to approximately 220 hectares, says Chief Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek.

He says the CRD has begun to contact ranchers in the area, in case of evacuation.

The winds are definately a factor in the control of the fire, adds Skrepnek, especially considering how hot and dry it has been lately.

4:00 p.m.: According to Chief Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek the fire is now approximately 140 hectares in size.

While there are no formal evacuation orders or alerts in place, they’re in communication to the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) who would issue the alert.

Skrepnek says 40 firefighters are currently onsite with 16 on the way, plus air support. Some planes are using Watson Lake to refill and they’re asking boats to avoid that location. He also adds that the RCMP have set up some roadblocks.

Finally, he says they are currently working under the assumption that the fire is likely human-caused as there has not been much lightning activity in the area.

According to the CRD, no formal alert or evacuation order has gone out.

2:30 p.m.: The size of the wildfire west of 100 Mile House has now grown to 65 hectares, according to Fire Information Officer Natasha Broznitsky.

There are still no threats to public safety or structures at this time, she says.

The Cariboo Fire Centre is not aware of a second fire currently, she says, and with the amount of aircraft in the area a second wildfire would be easy to spot.

Skimmers are on scene and are filling up at Watson Lake and Horse Lake.

Broznitsky asks that if boaters are seeing skimmers on the lakes to move the boat out of the way so skimmers can move safely.

1:45 p.m.: The fire west of 100 Mile House is now estimated to be 8 hectares.

Twenty-five firefighters are attending the scene or are en route now.

Two helicopters and air tankers are attending to the fire, however, skimmers, smaller aircraft that fill up on lakes, are not currently being used.

Larger air tankers that fill up at the Cariboo Fire Centre are attending.

The fire is still classified as “out of control.”

12:50 p.m.: Air tankers are currently responding to a wildfire west of 100 Mile House, according to Cariboo Fire Centre Information Officer Natasha Broznitsky.

Fire crews and a helicopter are also on their way, she says.

The fire is currently classified as “out of control” with no estimate as to when that might change.

Broznitsky confirmed that the fire is estimated to be between 1-2 hectares in size.

Both BC Wildfire and 100 Mile Fire Rescue are on scene. Support has been called for from both the 108 and Lone Butte fire departments.

No structures are currently threatened, says Broznitsky.

The cause is unknown at this time, however, a cause and origin team is on route.

12:08 p.m.: A wildfire has broken out near 100 Mile House near the intersection of the Gustafsen North Forest Service Road and Exeter McKinnley Road.

100 Mile House Fire Rescue is on scene and early reports suggest the fire is 1-2 hectares in size.

A water bomber is also on route

Smoke is visible from 100 Mile House.

The public is asked to keep the road clear for emergency vehicles.

More to come.

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Max Winkelman photo.
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The scene from earlier today from the South Cariboo Recreation Centre. Max Winkelman photo.
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Tara Sprickerhoff photo.
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A view of the fire from south of 100 Mile House. Martina Dopf photo.
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A view of the fire later in the day from the South Cariboo Rec Centre. Tara Sprickerhoff photo.
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Skimmers are filling up out of Watson Lake at 105 Mile. Tara Sprickerhoff photo.
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Flames can be seen from various areas around the South Cariboo. Chris Nickless photo.
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The fire has lots of air support including skimmers (pictured), filling out of Watson Lake and water bombers. Bob Grant photos.
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The smoke can be seen from many locations around the South Cariboo. Bob Grant photo.
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Trevor Zywine photo.
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Heading into the night, the fire visible from 100 Mile House is estimated to be around 500 hectares. Max Winkelman photo.
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Lauren Ray photo.
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Crews worked into the night. The glow from the fire could be seen as far away as Lac la Hache. Tara Sprickerhoff photo.
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