More than 200 firefighters and 11 helicopters were in the Lillooet area yesterday, where they continued to battle a growing forest fire.
The wildfire near Tyaughton Lake, which is located west of Lillooet and north of Whistler, is now estimated at 4,000 hectares — twice its size on Thursday.
This has forced officials to issue an evacuation order for three new communities and to maintain it in three others.
Strong winds from the west and northwest resulted in what wildfire management officials called aggressive fire behaviour, leading the blaze to spread east.
Structural protection units have been brought in to help protect homes in the immediate vicinity of the wildfire.
With dry, hot weather in the forecast, crews will continue to have a tough time trying to contain the fire, which could start to spread again if the wind picks up.
