— Thousands of Williams Lake, B.C., residents are being forced from their homes as high winds fan a wildfire burning next to the community. An evacuation order was issued Saturday evening for the entire City of Williams Lake and numerous surrounding areas including the village of 150 Mile House that have been under threat from nearby fires for almost a week. Cariboo Regional District Chairman Al Richmond said winds began to pick up Saturday afternoon, prompting an expansion of evacuation alerts. BC Wildfire Service said Saturday there are about 161 active wildfires in the province, 14 of which pose a direct threat to communities. He said crews had been preparing for the winds by conducting controlled burns in the fire path near the communities of Williams Lake, 100 Mile House and 150 Mile House to prevent the fires from spreading.

Source: National Post July 16, 2017 01:26 UTC