A new wildfire north of Yale in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon prompted an evacuation alert on Sunday afternoon.
The Sailor Bar fire, about seven kilometres north of Yale, is mapped at about 50 hectares in size and is out of control.
The Fraser Valley Regional District issued the evacuation order for the area of Yale north to Spuzzum Creek Road, including both east and west sides of the Fraser River.
The alert includes:
- Yale, Electoral Area B
- Properties on Spuzzum Creek Road
- Private Properties on both the east and west side of the Fraser River from Yale north to Spuzzum Creek Road
- Crown lands in the mapped area
The fire was discovered late on Aug. 23 and was initially mapped at two to three hectares.
The BC Wildfire Service said a helicopter equipped with night-vision technology worked on the fire overnight but the blaze is in steep, difficult-to-access terrain.
Multiple aviation and ground resources were responding on Sunday.
The fire is burning at Rank 2 intensity, which means a surface fire with visible, open flames and a slow rate of spread, and an unorganized or inconsistent flame front.
The fire is very visible from Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon.
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CN Rail has closed its tracks in the area.
The BC Wildfire Service said no other infrastructure is immediately threatened.