Arrest Those Who Refuse?

Police are prepared to arrest residents who disobey the potential order to evacuate an Interior B.C. village currently threatened by forest fires, a town hall meeting was told Thursday.

Local RCMP and tribal officers said once an evacuation order is given for Lillooet they won't tolerate people trying to stay behind to protect their property. The blunt message was greeted with a round of applause by the more than 200 people who attended a fire information meeting at the local ice arena.

Lillooet and its 2,700 residents have been under a one-hour evacuation alert since last Sunday, and even though the major fire burning above the community is 45 per cent contained, the Forests Ministry says it's still too risky to lift the alert.