Another 43 properties have been completely destroyed in the B.C. Interior by wildfire and 11 have been partially damaged, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District confirms.
The impacted homes are in the Gun Lake and Gun Creek areas north of Pemberton, where the Downtown Lake wildfire still burns out of control at a size of roughly 9,393 hectares.
“This has been a very distressing time and these property owners who have suffered such great loss and still have many challenges ahead,” said district’s board chair, Jen Ford, said in a news release.
“We know residents have been anxiously awaiting news about the status of their properties, and updates on when they can re-enter the area.”
Evacuation alerts are still in effect for in the Gun Lake, Gold Bridge, Lajoi Lake, Bralorne and Tyaughton Lake areas due to the wildfire, which has also now burned to the edge of the South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park.
The district is urging caution for those re-entering the area, noting that hazards remain.
“Out of respect for the people who have been so greatly affected by this wildfire, we ask non-residents to please avoid the area, as we give space to those who need time and support to process the damage caused by this fire,” said Ford.
The lost and damaged properties in Gun Lake and Gun Creek add to the hundreds impacted across the province, particularly near West Kelowna and the Shuswap.
Two firefighters have also been killed battling fires during this record-breaking season.
As of Wednesday, 1,200 British Columbians were on evacuation orders and some 34,000 more remained under alert.