UPDATE 1:45 p.m. – The BC Wildfire Service says a blaze which broke out about 5 kilometers northwest of Merritt early Saturday afternoon is now under control.

The Snake Road fire, which was first reported shortly after noon on Saturday, quickly jumped to 38 hectares in size, being whipped up by strong winds at the time.

This prompted the Lower Nicola Indian Band to issue a series of evacuation orders and alerts for homes in the area. All of those orders and alerts were lifted just after noon Sunday, April 30.

The fire did shut down Highway 97C between Logan Lake and the junction of Highway 8, just west of Merritt, for a while, though DriveBC notes it is currently open again.

The BC Wildfire Service suspects the fire was human caused.