The BC Wildfire Service now says a pair of Interior wildfires that started last evening have now exploded in size.
One of the fires is near Lillooett the other is 55 kilometres northwest of Kamloops.
The Allie Lake wildfire near Kamloops is now estimated to be 800 hectares while the is now estimated to be 300 hectares in size.
Fire Information Officer Jodi Lucius says firefighters continue to battle the flames.
“Both fires are considered out of control at this time and both of the causes are under investigation so we do have fire origin and cause people attending both scenes.”
Lucius says the Allie Lake Fire is being hit from the ground by crews and heavy equipment and from the air by a helicopter and air tankers.
The Lillooett fire is similarly being hit from the ground with 45 personnel, 5 pieces of heavy equipment and air tankers.
The now 800 hectare Allie Lake wildfire near Kamloops is already causing frayed nerves and frantic packing.
Ray Stad at the Vidette Lake Nature Retreat says they have yet to hear of any evacuation orders or alerts from the Thompson Nicola Regional District.
However Stad says with the fire so close they are already packing up vehicles and working to make sure their animals can be evacuated if needed.
“”Well like I said I totally feel threatened. Obviously it is not far away and if the wind changes towards us it would not take long before it was here. I don’t know how much success, it is pretty windy up here, I don’t know what kind of resources they have and I don’t know what they can actually do out there.”
He says neighbours are also packing up.
Stad says this is bringing back some bad memories of last summer’s Elephant Hill wildfire that forced them out for a 38 day evacuation period.