©BC Wildfire Service

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. 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.

Additional coverage in the Vancouver Sun by Tiffany Crawford: Evacuation order issued for out-of-control wildfire near Boston Bar