Recent wet weather and calm winds have helped the Kamloops Fire Centre keep forest fires near Penticton and Lillooet at bay, though an evacuation alert has been issued for residents close to the Lillooet-area fire.

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District issued the alert for residents of the Yalakom Valley, about 30 kilometres north of Lillooet, on Thursday afternoon.

Elise Riedlinger, a fire information officer at the Kamloops Fire Centre, said Friday, “There was one home within 500 metres of the fire.”

But, she added, the building was not at risk of burning.

“There are sprinkler systems set up at that home."

According to the B.C. Forests Ministry, the Yalakom Valley fire was 600 hectares in size as of Friday.

The fire was first discovered Wednesday. Since then, 80 firefighters, six helicopters, and five pieces of heavy equipment have headed to the valley to battle the blaze.

A report from the Forests Ministry stated there was no “significant fire growth” Wednesday night thanks to cooler temperatures and precipitation.

“They received about two-and-a-half millimeters of precipitation in that area and we did see a decrease in fire behaviour,” said Riedlinger.

However, the Yalakom fire is expected to grow Friday due to wind and the return of high temperatures.

Twenty firefighters worked overnight on the east flank of the fire, but it is still considered zero per cent contained and out of control.

The Forests Ministry will set up a fire camp in the Yalakom Valley early next week, said Riedlinger.

“That will be able to accommodate more firefighters if that is required” but no additional personnel or helicopters have been assigned so far.

Meanwhile, the Kamloops Fire Centre is assisting the Okanagan Falls Fire Department at a wildfire 10 kilometres southeast of Penticton.

A helicopter and 45 firefighters from the Forests Ministry are already onsite, along with local firefighters. Another helicopter is on standby in Penticton.

The fire, at 18.1 hectares in size, is listed as 100 per cent contained.

Its size was first estimated at 30 hectares. However, Riedlinger said, “They did some more accurate mapping this afternoon, and that's where the 18.1 comes from.”

The Forests Ministry indicated that decreasing wind Thursday night and Friday morning kept the Okanagan Falls fire relatively quiet.

Riedlinger said the investigator in the Okanagan Falls fire has determined it was caused by human activity.

“He's ruled out lightning, but any further details are still under investigation.”

The cause of the Yalakom fire has not yet been determined.

Riedlinger said there are no fires of note in the Merritt Fire Zone at the moment and the risk of a wildfire is considered moderate.

As temperatures rise to the low-to-mid-30s in Merritt over the next week, however, the risk of a forest fire is expected to increase.

For now, small campfires are permitted in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

“Campfires are still allowed, but they have to be smaller than half a metre high and half a metre wide.”