While evacuation alerts and orders have been lifted in some areas of the province due to wildfire activity, new evacuation orders have been issued in the Fraser Canyon.

“An Evacuation Order has been expanded by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District due to immediate danger to life safety caused by the Shetland Creek Wildfire,” said the TNRD in a release.  “The Evacuation Order is now in effect for approximately 97 addressed properties in Electoral Area “I” (Blue Sky Country).”

This includes three additional properties along the southern edge of the fire.

“All addressed properties in the Murray Creek drainage and along Colvin Road west of the Trans-Canada Highway [are affected],” according to the TNRD.

The Regional District has also added one property to its list of evacuation alerts.

It comes as crews on the massive blaze do work to try to keep its flanks from growing.

“July 28, personnel will continue to execute a low intensity planned ignition operation from the Twaal Valley to the Murray Valley,” said the BC Wildfire Service on its website.  “This operation will be carried out by a combination of PSD and small-scale hand ignitions. If conditions are favorable, increased smoke will be visible to surrounding communities and travelers along the Highway 1 corridor”

The Shetland Creek wildfire, which broke out on July 12th as a lightening-sparked blaze, now covers around 240 square kilometers of space.

Six homes are known to have been destroyed, among 20 structures burned down due to the fire.