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An urgent alert from the Fraser Valley Regional District orders any residents remaining in Boston Bar, B.C., which has been under evacuation order since Thursday, to leave immediately.
A new wildfire that ignited south of the community has more than tripled in size Tuesday evening due to strong winds.
“You are in danger and need to evacuate now,” the district statement reads. “For your safety, residents who have remained in the community must leave now.”
Several additional properties have been placed under evacuation order on Tuesday evening, including properties in and around Hell’s Gate and on Scuzzy Creek forest service road, south of Boston Bar.
The latest evacuation orders can be found here.
The wildfire has closed Highway 1 in both directions from 3 kilometres south of Jackass Mountain Summit to 22 kilometres north of Yale.
Highway 5 is being used as an alternate route. Those evacuating Boston Bar must drive northbound on Highway 1.
A map shows the three wildfires burning near Boston Bar. (CBC News)
The new fire is about 1,000 hectares (10 square kilometres) in size as of 10 p.m. PT on Tuesday, up from 300 hectares (3 square kilometres) earlier in the evening.
It is classified by the B.C. Wildfire Service as out of control, meaning it is spreading or is anticipated to spread.
The wildfire service told CBC News it is a spot fire from the Brunswick Creek wildfire.
Last week, the Brunswick Creek wildfire complex — which includes the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires that have been burning since early July — prompted evacuation orders for about 450 properties in the area.
But officials say some residents have chosen to stay behind. It’s unclear how many people defied the order.
The Fraser Valley Regional District has opened an evacuee reception centre in Kamloops at the McArthur Island Sports Centre located at 1665 Island Parkway.
Boston Bar is located in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon, about 140 kilometres northeast of Vancouver as the crow flies.
