Wildfires spark evacuation alert for Endako, B.C.

Evacuation alerts have been issued for properties near two wildfires burning out of control in central B.C., including the small community of Endako, as fears of a long wildfire season in the province start to materialize.

The Cariboo Regional District issued an alert on Sunday night covering six parcels of land over 32 square kilometres, saying a fire in the Burgess Creek area is dangerous and residents should prepare to leave at short notice.

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The BC Wildfire Service says the Burgess Creek fire, about 600 kilometres north of Vancouver, was discovered on Saturday and has grown to 1,600 hectares in size.

About 400 kilometres northwest of that blaze, a fire is threatening Endako, a community of several dozen properties alongside Highway 16.

The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako says in an alert issued Sunday afternoon that the entire town is under threat.

Information posted Monday by the BC Wildfire Service says nine wildfires started in the province in the previous 24 hours.

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Officials have worried this year’s wildfire season could be a challenging one, with much of the province continuing to experience significant drought and snowpack levels at record lows.

Last year’s wildfire season saw more than 28,400 square kilometres of forest and land burned, hundreds of homes destroyed and tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate.