About 4,700 residents of the Alberta mountain town of Jasper and visitors to Jasper National Park have been forced to evacuate after a wildfire roared into the area late Monday night. People were forced to flee west into British Columbia with little notice over mountain roads through darkness, soot and ash. Photos and video shared on social media depicted a long line of cars and trucks, headlights on, red tail lights blinking, heading out bumper-to bumper as the deep blue night sky darkened. …The Jasper townsite — and the park’s main east-west artery Highway 16 — were caught in a fiery pincer. Fires threatening from the northeast cut off highway access east to Edmonton. Another fire roaring up from the south forced the closure of the north-south Icefields Parkway. That left one route open — west to B.C. …The evacuation alert was sent just after 10 p.m. MT. The Municipality of Jasper declared a state of emergency shortly after.

A wildfire burning on Mara Mountain has grown to 220 hectares, and access to the fire remains an issue, prompting firefighters in nearby Sicamous to prepare to defend the community. Inaccessible terrain kept BC Wildfire Service crews from working a 220-hectare fire burning near Sicamous on Monday. BCWS Information Officer Ayden Coray said no bucketing of the fire took place Monday, and steep terrain has made the fire inaccessible for ground crews. An update from the Columbia Shuswap Regional District advises the public that BCWS continues to monitor the wildfire.

Other BC evacuation news from Castanet: Sitkum Creek wildfire balloons to 350 hectares, evacuation alerts in place

A wildfire in Dry Creek is out of control and an evacuation alert has been put in place for the area. The fire was first discovered on July 18. BC Wildfire Services has updated the status of the fire as of July 22, stating that it has grown to 150 hectares. An evacuation alert is issued for the following areas, Highway 23 South from Cranberry Creek to Shelter Bay, and Shelter Bay to 12km on the Shelter Bay Forest Service Road. This evacuation alert is issued to prepare you to evacuate your premises or property should an evacuation order be made. Dry Creek is approximately 35 kilometres south of the City of Revelstoke.

Additional coverage in Revelstoke Review: Evacuation alert for Shelter Bay to Cranberry Creek

An aerial image taken by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) Monday, July 22 shows the extent of damage caused by the Williams Lake River Valley wildfire that continues to threaten the city. The fire is estimated at 40 hectares and is still considered out of control by the BCWS. The city is reporting, however, that crews are making significant progress on the fire. Evan Dean, director of protective services, said the Williams Lake Fire Department (WLFD), in coordination with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), as well as support from numerous other structural and wildland crews, gained ground containing Sunday’s fire. “Currently, crews are working on securing perimeter lines, as well as extinguishing hot spots,” Dean said. “Out of an abundance of caution, alerts remain in effect for the Mackenzie Avenue, Woodland, Westridge and Country Club areas, due to potential spotting or reignition cause by extreme weather.”

Additional coverage in the Castanet by Madison Reeve: B.C Wildfire Service reports the wildfire is classified as out of control

Victoria Times Colonist, by Canadian Press: Tactical evacuations, water use warnings issued as wildfire threatens Williams Lake

Black Press, by Angie Mindus: ‘We’re hitting it hard’: Crews fight Williams Lake wildfire from air, ground