An aboriginal group is criticizing provincial officials for allowing British Columbia's Lonesome Lake wildfire to burn in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.

Ulkatcho First Nation spokesperson Linda Price says the forest fire has already ruined many of the band's cultural treasures.

"There are a number of trails, obviously, that have been damaged and a lot of cultural campsites," she says.

Price says band members believe the fire could have been stopped early on, and the Ulkatcho's traditional sites protected.

She says the fire is threatening a 19th century longhouse on the edge of Charlotte Lake, which is considered an important piece of the First Nation's heritage.

"Well, I would say, as we speak that the fire is right at the site. And we're really concerned about that," she says.

Price says ancient burial sites within the park in the Ulkatcho traditional territory could also be in danger.

Ulkatcho members aren't the only local residents upset with the way the fire has been handled.

About 60 people forced to leave their homes on Charlotte Lake say fire officials should have taken action when the fire first started five weeks ago.

The blaze began in a steep area that was considered too dangerous for firefighters on the ground to access. A waterbomber assault during the early stages of the fire was also ineffective because of its location.

Frustrated residents pushed for answers at a community meeting in Anahim Lake on Thursday night, but fire officials insist the situation was too dangerous for ground crews at that time.

Meanwhile, Ulkatcho leaders are demanding a meeting with the provincial government in an effort to protect their interests in the threatened area.

The Lonesome Lake fire, B.C.'s biggest, is still growing rapidly, now covering more than 140 square kilometres.

The flames continue to move east – and the communities of Nimpo Lake, Anahim Lake, Ulkatcho and Kleenakleene remain under evacuation alert.

There are nearly 400 fires burning in B.C. – with 945 firefighters on the frontlines.