Most properties have been taken off of evacuation order near the Coquihalla Highway south of Merritt, from the July Mountain wildfire.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has downgraded the order to an alert as of Tuesday afternoon for 90 properties, covering Brookmere and part of Kane Valley Road to the north, and areas just east of the highway north of Coldwater River Park.

The TNRD says eight properties are still on order near Kingsvale on the west side of the Coquihalla. Another 25 properties near Murray Lake are also still on order, close to where the fire first broke out on July 13. An updated map on the evacuation order can be found here.

The evacuation alert now covers Brookmere to the east and Kingsvale and the Coldwater Indian Band to the north.

The lightning-caused July Mountain blaze is now mapped at 6,567 hectares, which is about 200 hectares larger than its size on Sunday.

After roughly tripling in size from 2,000 hectares on Thursday night, during gusting winds when the fire jumped the highway, fire activity has calmed down, in large part because of cooler and wetter weather over the weekend.

The Coquihalla Highway has not been impacted by the fire, although there has been a travel advisory in place for more than two weeks between Hope and Merritt because of heavy smoke.