Residents near 20 Mile Ranch and south of Clinton are voicing their anger on social media after what they call a 鈥渃ontrolled burn gone horribly wrong鈥� caused the flames to jump across Highway 97.

Photos posted to Facebook on Tuesday show heavy smoke near rural properties in the Loon Lake area near Maiden Creek.

鈥淚t was about 15 minutes from the time they started until the hydro transistor on the big pole blew apart and maybe a few more minutes until it crossed west onto Hwy 97,鈥� one post on the reads.

鈥淭here were some very strong winds blowing when they started that didn鈥檛 just magically appear after the burn was already going. This fire is now raging on another mountainside and it鈥檚 going to be a beastly one to gain any control on.鈥�

Fire information officer Heather Rice said Wednesday morning fire crews were focused on holding the fire on the hill, away from the highway.

鈥淲e actioned that immediately with lots of water from the helicopters and air skimmers and were able to hold that fire,鈥� Rice said. 鈥淚t went up to the top of the ridge and then stalled, which is often what happens in the evening when a fire hits the top of a hill. So the plan today is, of course, to hold it in that particular spot.鈥�

Highway 97 remains closed from Loon Lake to the Hwy. 99 junction. An evacuation order was issued for areas Wednesday afternoon.

Chief fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek said Wednesday afternoon there had been a 鈥渄ramatic and unforecasted shift in the wind,鈥� which caused the fire spillover.

鈥淎t the time it was ignited, the weather was as forecasted and a lot of design goes into when we do these things,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he fact of the matter is when fires get to this size, the use of the controlled ignition is one of the best hacks that we have in terms of trying to control them.鈥�

鈥� More to come.