B.C. residents still under evacuation alerts and orders due to wildfires

WATCH: Leigh Kjekstad has the latest from the Smith Creek fire near West Kelowna.

There are still a number of evacuation alerts and orders in place across the province due to the wildfire activity.

Cooler weather has helped alleviate some of the fires and allowed some residents to go home, but others remain under evacuation alerts and orders.

Firefighters are battling 135 wildfires across B.C., with most of them in the Prince George fire centre, although many have been sparked in the Kamloops fire centre in the past few days. There have been 628 fires in the province since April, which is actually below the 10 year average.

More than 200 firefighters have been brought in from across Canada to aid B.C. crews.

PHOTOS: Wildfires burning across the province

A wildfire has come dangerously close to homes located in the area of Botanie Valley in the southern interior near Lytton. The fire is estimated to be 1,500 hectares in size – which is nearly four times the size of Stanley Park – and is zero per cent contained.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is issuing a state of local emergency in Electoral Area “I” (Blue Sky Country) and an evacuation order has been issued for residents on Botanie Creek Road due to the potential threat to life and health from the wildfire.

The area under an evacuation order covers all properties from Botanie Creek Road and the junction of Highway 12 north up to Botanie Lake. (Map).

PHOTOS: Wildfire near Lytton

The area under evacuation alert includes all properties east of the Fraser River along the Highway 12 corridor from Highway 12 and Botanie Creek Road to Highway 12 and Laluwissin Forest Service Road east to the western boundary of the Bootahnie IR #15.

WATCH: 2003 wildfire lessons not learned: report

The fire near Apex Mountain, west of Penticton, is estimated at 345 hectares in size and has prompted an evacuation alert.

There remains an evacuation alert in place for the lower portions of Green Mountain and Apex Mountain Roads. This affects approximately 9 properties.

The Jura fire near Princeton, estimated to be 460 hectares in size, has put more homes on evacuation alert.

An alert has been issued an alert for the following areas:

115 to 131 Augur Road, 112 Bankeir Place, 105 to 136 Country Lane, 120 to 145 Jellico Road, 4067 to 4131 Lakesyde Road, 150 to 223 Lakeview Road, 113 to 117 Lee CK PL, 102 to 272 Link Lake Road, 4088 to 4116 Meadow Cres, 114 to 126 Muskoka Road, 131 and 143 Osprey Place, 110 to 231 Pinewood Drive, 143 Jellicoe Road, 1556 to 4600 Princeton-Summerland Road, 1364 to 1862 Shinish Creek Road , 118 to 149 Tee Pee Lakes Place and 186 Trout Main FSR Road.

Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.

For more information contact: www.rdos.bc.ca.

The Central Okanagan Regional District has lifted an evacuation order Sunday morning for West Kelowna that was issued earlier last week, due to a wildfire burning at Smith Creek. The initial order affected 2,500 residents.

This fire is showing aggressive behavior, but officials said it is largely contained as of Monday.

However, the evacuation order remains in effect for eight large, rural, private properties in the interface areas immediately above Smith Creek, Tallus Ridge and Shannon Woods Neighbourhoods, including all properties accessed off Dixie Road. The Evacuation Order area, including parks, trails and public and private lands, remains closed to the public, including Wildhorse Park and Tallus Park.

South of Merritt, more than 30 properties near Murray Lake are now under an evacuation order.

For more information specific to the alert please contact 250 819-4105.

West of Chetwynd, the Mount McAllister fire, is estimated to be about 16,000 hectares in size and is zero per cent contained at this time.

The Peace River Regional District had issued an evacuation order for the area directly south and west of Hudson’s Hope.

That order has now been lifted but residents remain under evacuation alert.

The Peace River Regional District has ordered an evacuation alert for residents in the community of Moberly Lake and surrounding area extending to the northernmost point of Boucher Lake Road, directly west to the Klin-Se-Za protected area, north along Carbon Creek to the southern edge of Williston Lake directly east to the boundary of Hudson’s Hope

Surrounding communities will be able to see lots of smoke and ash from this fire.

The Red Deer Creek fire, burning since July 6, is now over 34,000 hectares and is zero per cent contained.

Three oil and gas work camps were evacuated, affecting about 200 people, but that evacuation order has now been rescinded.

An evacuation order has also been issued for anyone living in the region of the northeast half of Tetachuck Lake to the south side of the Chelaslie River in the Bulkley-Nechako area.

Evacuees are asked to call the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako at 250-692-3195 or 250-692-9411 to be registered.

The following areas have also been put on evacuation alert:

Intata Reach at the confluence of Uchu Reach at the eastern border of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako Electoral Area ‘E’ (François/Ootsa Lake Rural), to Natalkuz-500 Road in the north, to Kluskus Forest Service Road in the east to the boundary of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako Electoral Area ‘E’ (François/Ootsa Lake Rural) and Electoral Area ‘D’ (Fraser Lake Rural) in the south.

In Northern B.C., residents near the Forres Mountain fire, 50 km northwest of Williston Lake, have been put on evacuation alert.

The alert applies to rural residents in the area west of Williston Lake and west of Finlay River, to Ingenika Arm, west following Ingenika River, north to Tucha Lake and northeast to where Akie River meets the Finlay River.

High concentrations of smoke and ash have impacted the air quality in Prince George, which may potentially cause problems for locals suffering from asthma or a heart condition.

Campfire bans in place across the province.