BC wildfires: New evacuation order issued for Shuswap region as fire quickly spreads

A massive new evacuation order and alert was issued for the Shuswap region by the Columbia Shuswap Regional District on Saturday, with those in the areas of Sorrento and Skimikin being told to leave immediately.

The new evacuation order joins the existing orders already in place, adding thousands more to the thousands of residents already evacuated. Many more have been put on alert.

BC Wildfire Service’s Cliff Chapman said Saturday the 41,041-hectare blaze, now known as Bush Creek East, took a run of more than 20 km in 12 hours on Friday, something unheard of in B.C. wildfire activity.

Elissa Carpenter has more on the situation there.