Wildfires force evacuation of Slocan, B.C., surrounding area

A small town in the B.C. interior has been evacuated due to wildfires raging nearby.

The mayor of Slocan, B.C., says the skies were filled with ominous black smoke while she drove out of her community that's now under an evacuation order as wildfires burn on either side.

Jessica Lunn says most of Slocan's approximately 370 residents had already left Sunday morning, as she and her family evacuated and firefighters set up sprinklers to protect structures and prepared to pump water from the nearby lake.

"I did a drive through the community, through the village, looking, and most people had left by that point," she said.

"And it just seemed, you know, there was that quiet ominous feeling of just thick, thick smoke."

The Regional District of Central Kootenay announced late Saturday the evacuation order would take effect Sunday morning after fire officials warned a warming and drying trend in the region meant fires in the area would to see more activity.

A statement from the regional district said the unique topography of the area about 370 kilometres east of Kelowna presented, "significant direct attack safety challenges," and that projected fire behaviour led officials to recommend the evacuation order.

The order covered all 208 properties in the village and 309 properties in the surrounding area.