A wildfire burning northwest of Fraser Lake has grown exponentially.
The BC Wildfire Service says the Shovel Lake fire is now estimated at 4500 hectares, up from just under 300 hectares Saturday.
While crews initially had the fire 40 per cent contained Monday, the blaze burned aggressively and jumped control lines, leaving the wildfire zero per cent contained.
The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze showed Rank 2-5 fire behaviour (with 6 being the most extreme) Monday with the most aggressive activity in standing timber.
The wildfire service say the southern flank of the fire continues to hold in the Shovel Creek drainage while crews are continuing to work on establishing containment on the south and western flanks of the fire. There are 17 pieces of heavy equipment are on site working to establish control lines along with seven helicopters and 75 firefighters on site.
Officials say an Incident Management Team has been deployed and more firefighting resources are being sent to fight the fire.
Due in part to the rate of growth, the forests ministry has issued an area restriction order for Crown land near fire, which is burning about 30 kilometres northeast of Burns Lake and about 25 kilometres northwest of Fraser Lake.
There is currently an evacuation alert for some residents of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.
The RDBN and BC Wildfire Service are co-hosting an information meeting for residents Tuesday night at the Stellat’en Community Hall with doors open at 5:30.
Another information meeting will be held Wednesday in Burns Lake.
It will be held at the Island Gospel Fellowship Church at 6:00pm.
