Residents of Tumbler Ridge in westernmost British Columbia province were ordered to leave their homes at 7:40 p.m. (0240 GMT Tuesday) as the blaze burned to within 12 kilometers (7.5 miles), provincial fire department spokeswoman Radha Fisher told AFP by telephone.

Most headed to two nearby towns, she said.

"The fire raced almost 16 kilometers in just four hours," Fisher said. "It was originally caused by lightning. The reason it's now so big is that conditions here are very dry."

Overnight, the blaze grew to 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) in size and crept to within 10 kilometers of the town, she said.

Meanwhile, volunteer firefighters and aircraft have been flown in from eastern Canada to help fight 109 forest fires in Saskatchewan province that have displaced 1,800 people mostly in northern parts, according to reports.

Related Links
-