Music festival evacuated: What you need to know about B.C. wildfires

Fires of note across B.C. on Aug. 7. A fire of note is one that is particularly visible or poses a threat to public safety. Source: B.C. Wildfire Service (Akshay Kulkarni/CBC)

In a statement Monday afternoon, Princeton RCMP said the fire was caused by a group of four people riding ATVs near the village of Coalmont, about 20 kilometres northwest of Princeton. One of the ATVs caught on fire, igniting a wildfire that spread rapidly, the statement said.

They said up to 1,000 festival attendees and the four ATV drivers have been accounted for and no injuries have been reported.

Coyne earlier said as many as 500 people were believed to be attending the festival.

He said thousands of people were visiting Princeton over the long weekend because several events were taking place in and around the town.

“Luckily, most people came in their campers or already had other means of accommodation, so when they evacuated out, most of them have found a place to go,” he said.