A wildfire discovered this week southwest of Princeton remains out of control as of Sept. 6.
BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) crews are on scene battling the Holding Creek blaze, which is located near Manning Park and mapped at 762 hectares in size.
Provincial fire officials said crews were able to get an updated track and size of the blaze on Friday, but expected some additional growth into the evening. An update on its size on Saturday has yet to be provided.
The fire is displaying Rank 3 behaviour, meaning a "moderate to highly vigorous surface fire with a moderate to fast rate of spread," BCWS said.
Thirty-four firefighters and three helicopters are currently on scene fighting the blaze, which was discovered on Sept. 2. Its suspected cause is lightning.
"Access to this fire has been challenging due to multiple bridges being washed out in the area due to previous flooding," BCWS added. "Crews are working on establishing guard and gaining access to the fire by opening old roads."
The Whipsaw Trail, a 110-kilometre off-road route south of Princeton, is also closed due to the blaze. In a statement, the Tulameen Fire Department reminded backcountry riders to stay away from the area.
"Equipment and wildfire crews have had riders enter the danger zone," said its fire chief, Jody Woodford. "This is an active wildfire with extreme, fast-moving fire conditions. Be aware and be safe."
Provincial crews, from the neighbouring Coastal Fire Centre, are also at Manning Park on Saturday, battling the Turnbull Creek wildfire.
Discovered on Aug. 31, the blaze is 750 hectares in size and classified as out of control.
Lightning is also the suspected cause of the fire, which is burning northeast of Highway 3.
The highway remains open, as of 2 p.m. on Sept. 6, according to DriveBC.
