Hundreds forced to flee B.C. forest fires

Dozensof people remained out of their homes Sunday because of forest fires burning throughout B.C.,with more people under evacuation alert ready to flee at a moment's notice.

The biggest fire is at Lava Canyon, about 100 kilometres west of Williams Lake. That fire grew to nearly 520 square kilometres by Sunday, up from 480 square kilometres on Friday. Officials say the fire is completely uncontained.

An evacuation orderremains in effect for about a dozen residents of the Scum Lake area, and the Newton-Whitewater Road remains closed.

An evacuation alert has also been issued for the areas west of Bull Canyon, including Puntzi Lake.

An evacuation order is also in effect for another dozen homes in the Kelly Creek area due to the uncontained fire in Edgehills Provincial Park. That fire grew to 165 square kilometres over the weekend, up from 130 square kilometres on Friday.

In the Martin Mountain area of Kamloops, the Pritchard fire grew to 14 square kilometres over the weekend and officials say it is zero per cent contained.

About 130 people were ordered out of their homes, and another 130 were put under an evacuation order.

West of Quesnel, the 60-square-kilometre fire near Klusklus Lakes, which is 60 per cent contained, did not increase in size over the weekend. Evacuation orders affecting residents in the area have been rescinded.

At Intlpam, between Lillooet and Lytton, a 20-square-kilometre blaze was considered to be 75 per cent containedon Saturday evening. An evacuation order previously in place in that area has been downgraded to an alert.

Officials say warm temperatures, the threat of lightning, shifting winds and tinder-dry conditions are making fire behaviour unpredictable.