As the Dusty Lake wildfire continues to spread, the Ulkatcho First Nation and Cariboo Regional District (CRD) have issued an evacuation alert.
The alert was released Tuesday evening (Sept. 2) for 380 parcels and 179 structures, covering 73,686 hectares. The area connects with an evacuation alert that was issued for an area due to the Beef Trail Creek fire, also on Tuesday night.
"An evacuation alert has been issued to prepare you to evacuate your premises or property should it be required," said the CRD. "Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however, you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions."
Residents in the affected area should have a grab-and-go bag ready and should be prepared to depart if the alert is upgraded to an evacuation order.
According to BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the Dusty Lake wildfire is 2,500 hectares in size as of Tuesday night, around 7:33 p.m.
Highway 20 remains open, but flames are visible to motorists and the Nimpo Lake community.
There are currently 28 firefighters and an incident management team on scene with ground crews starting to establish safeguards.
The fire is located 2.3 kilometres east of Dusty Lake. It was discovered on Monday, Sept. 1, with lightning being the suspected cause.
It is currently one of 155 active wildfires in the province.
