Downton Lake wildfire

About 160 firefighters battling a blaze in British Columbia's Interior have pulled out of their camp after they were subjected to what the BC Wildfire Service calls "persistent bear activity."

The operations director at the BC Wildfire Service says firefighters are bracing for a "challenging week" as hot and dry conditions are expected to persist.

It was a scene of confusion, sadness and fear in what is usually an idyllic lakeside community as a "drastic wind shift" caught fire forecasters off guard in British Columbia's Shuswap region.