UPDATE 2:18 p.m.: Evacuation Alert issued for north end of Stump Lake as wildfire grows

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has issued an Evacuation Alert for approximately 30 properties near the north end of Stump Lake as the Kullagh Creek wildfire continues to expand south of Kamloops.

The alert, issued at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, covers properties in Electoral Areas “J,” “L,” and “M,” including the northeast end of Stump Lake and sections of Kullagh Lake Road west of Highway 5A.

The move comes just hours after one evacuation order was issued for 8805 Kullagh Lake Road, as the fast-moving blaze continues to pose an evolving risk to nearby properties.

The wildfire has grown rapidly from about 30 hectares late Tuesday morning to roughly 130 hectares by early afternoon and remains out of control. Fire crews continue to respond with heavy resources on the ground and in the air, while gusty winds of up to 50 km/h are expected to remain a concern through the afternoon.

Officials say the evacuation alert is a precautionary step meant to give residents time to prepare in case conditions worsen and an evacuation order becomes necessary.

UPDATE 2:06 p.m.: One property on Evacuation Order

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has issued an evacuation order for one property near the Kullagh Creek wildfire as the fast-growing blaze continues to expand south of Kamloops.

The order takes effect at 2 p.m. Tuesday and applies to 8805 Kullagh Lake Road in Electoral Area “J” (Copper Desert Country), along with any other properties identified on the TNRD’s evacuation map.

The regional district says the order was issued due to an immediate danger to life safety posed by the wildfire. Anyone in the affected area is required to leave immediately and is prohibited from returning until the order is lifted.

The wildfire, burning west of Highway 5A near Stump Lake, has grown rapidly from an estimated 30 hectares late Tuesday morning to 80 hectares by early afternoon. The fire remains out of control.

No additional evacuation alerts or orders have been announced at this time.

Residents seeking emergency support services are encouraged to register online through the provincial Evacuee Registration and Assistance program. More information, including evacuation maps, is available through the TNRD Emergency Operations Centre.

ORIGINAL:

A wildfire which was discovered sometime Tuesday morning along the 5A near Stump Lake, south of Kamloops, appears to be moving quickly.

Initially pegged at 30 hectares as of around 11am on Tuesday morning, the blaze has since grown to 80 hectares — and is still listed as out of control.

It’s likely that gusty winds are helping move the fire more quickly than air crews can attack it.

The fire is burning through a mostly grassy area north along the western shore of Stump Lake, west of the 5A, roughly one kilometer from the northern end of Stump Lake.

The yet-unnamed fire has 55 crew members working on it, as well as aerial resources.

As part of a provincial briefing this morning, BC Wildfire Service Director Cliff Chapman mentioning that part of that team on the ground are volunteer resources from the area.

“We are currently fighting a new fire that [Forests] Minister [Ravi Parmar] mentioned this morning, in and around the area of Stump Lake,” said Chapman.

“We will be working with one of our Cooperative Community Response Crews on that fire, which is members of the public who have a higher level of training.”

In response to perceived issues about resources and BC Wildfire Service response times, a number of groups in the region, including volunteers from the Knutsford area and beyond, have undergone wildfire training programs the past two years to be allowed to participate in wildfire response.

Since policy changes were brought in by the BC Government in 2024 to allow these trained groups access to fire zones, they can also be hired by the BC wildfire service as contractors in certain instances.

The fire near Stump Lake is not threatening any properties at this point.

However, the winds which have begun whipping up in the region could create challenges, with gusts of up to 50 kilometres per hour expected through the area this afternoon.

The 5A does remain open, though

No word on what may have sparked the blaze.