More properties have been lost to the voracious White Rock Lake wildfire in British Columbia's southern Interior.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan says in a statement that an aerial survey Tuesday of the Bouleau Lake area, west of Vernon, determined at least six structures on four properties had "significant damage."
The district says the area remains under an evacuation order and it's not yet safe for inspectors to do a ground survey to assess the losses.
The wildfire has now grown to 565 square kilometres in size and is the same blaze that swept through Monte Lake and surrounding communities on Thursday, destroying homes and businesses.
The fire has moved eastward since then, prompting evacuation orders and alerts by four regional districts, two First Nations and the City of Vernon, while orders or alerts for other communities, including Falkland, Armstrong, Chase and the Spallumcheen township, have since been lifted.
Heat warnings and special weather statements cover most of southern British Columbia and the BC Wildfire Service fire-danger map shows risk levels have returned to high or extreme across most of the central Interior and southern Vancouver Island.
Environment Canada says humidity will make it feel like the mid- to high 30s across the south coast and inland sections of the north and central coasts Wednesday, while it could feel hotter than 40 C in parts of the Interior as heat arrives there Thursday.
With no rain in the forecast and roughly 270 fires raging in B.C., the wildfire risk is expected to rise sharply.
Helicopters were needed to cool hot spots on the southeast flank of the White Rock Lake fire close to Okanagan Lake when a finger of flame jumped control lines late Tuesday, the wildfire service said in its online update.
Nearly 6,600 square kilometres of trees and bush have burned in B.C. since the start of the wildfire season on April 1 and more than 30 fires are considered threatening or highly visible.
Those include a blaze that now covers 38 square kilometres after being sparked a month ago in the Fraser Canyon just south of the devastating June 30 Lytton fire.
Northerly winds are in the forecast and the wildfire service said there's concern gusts could push flames toward the canyon community of Kanaka Bar.
