An aggressive wildfire burning near Boston Bar, B.C., has grown sharply and has forced evacuation orders and alerts in some communities in the Fraser Canyon.
The Brunswick Creek wildfire has grown from about 100 hectares on Saturday to more than 1,200 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. It is now listed as a wildfire of note — the only fire categorized as such in the province.
The wildfire service uses that category for fires that are creating an increased level of public interest and to make response information easier to find.
Officials detected the Brunswick Creek fire on July 2 burning near the community of Boston Bar, along Highway 1. It is believed to have been sparked by human activity.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Boston Bar, B.C. prompts evacuation for about 60 residences
The Fraser Valley Regional District has issued an evacuation order for the entire community of North Bend and the surrounding area extending north along Chaumox Road, affecting about 146 properties.
Boston Bar and North Bend sit across the Fraser River from each other in the rugged Fraser Canyon. About 500 people live in the area.
The regional district says that nearly 260 properties in the community of Boston Bar are under an evacuation alert but many of these properties don’t contain structures.
The Boothroyd Indian Band has also issued an evacuation order because of the fire.
Samantha Bellion, an information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service’s Coastal Fire Centre, says strong downslope winds gusting between 40 and 50 kilometres an hour caused a major shift in fire activity.
“After high winds, high downslope winds in the afternoon, resulted in extreme fire behaviour,” Bellion said.
She said the fire saw significant overnight growth, with much of that growth moving north and away from the North Bend community.
But Bellion said the situation remains dynamic and people near the fire need to follow directions from local authorities.
Bellion said the strong winds have also created new spot fires, including fires now listed separately on the wildfire map.
Crews are now prioritizing spot fires north of the main incident, and supporting structure protection in nearby areas.
The wildfire service says steep terrain and poor visibility can limit the use of aircraft, and responder safety remains the priority. An incident management team has been requested, with additional resources and aviation support.
Drive BC says that Highway 1, which runs through the area on the eastern side of the Fraser River, remains open, but two local roads on the eastern side of the river are closed in both directions.
Smoke from the fire has been highly visible around Highway 1 and has been seen as far away as Merritt and Hope.
An air quality warning is now in place for the Fraser Canyon south area, which includes North Bend, Boston Bar and Lytton.
