The Heather Lake Wildfire has continued to grow and is expected to stay active over the weekend near Eastgate.

The fire now covers an estimated 3,084 hectares in Canada, with another 4,000 in the United States where lightning first sparked the blaze.

On Tuesday, Sept. 6, about 180 properties in the community of Eastgate were placed under evacuation alert.

There are a number of trails and facilities within the E.C. Manning Provincial Park south of Highway 3 that are affected by the Heather Lake wildfire. BC Parks has issued an evacuation order and alert for these areas.

The fire has been burning through areas of heavy fuel, which has led to large amounts of smoke and aggressive fire behaviour.

Communities around the fire as well as Highway 3 will see smoke from within the blaze’s perimeter, which could cause visibility issues for drivers.

Road conditions will be updated by DriveBC and crews will be working in the area.

BC Wildfire is working with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, BC Parks and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to prepare for the possibility of the Heather Lake fire impacting Highway 3, E.C. Manning Park and other communities.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by lightning and was first reported on August 21.

READ MORE: BC Wildfire crews looking to gain access to Glenrosa blaze

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.