Signal Hill fire near Pemberton triggers evacuation order

A wildfire discovered near Pemberton, British Columbia, on Wednesday, July 15, has triggered an evacuation order for a local park and placed the entire village on alert as crews battle the blaze. The fire, named the Signal Hill fire, grew rapidly overnight from an initial estimate of 4 hectares to approximately 38 hectares by Thursday, July 16, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

The wildfire service believes the fire was human-caused. It is burning in heavy timber between One Mile Lake Park and the Pemberton wetlands wildlife management area, about five kilometres south of Highway 99. An evacuation order for One Mile Lake Park was issued late Wednesday night to provide safe working space for firefighting crews. Shortly after, an evacuation alert was issued for the Village of Pemberton and parts of the surrounding Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, advising approximately 1,300 households to be ready to leave at short notice.

Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman described a tense night as residents watched the glow of the fire and aircraft, including helicopters and an air tanker, worked to contain it. He said he first noticed a small plume of smoke on his way to work Wednesday, but...