Category Archives: Forest Fires

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VERNON, British Columbia — A fast-moving wildfire destroyed about 230 homes in an Indigenous community in western Canada, officials said Tuesday, making it one of the country’s most destructive fires in recent years. Dan Wilson, chief of the Okanagan Indian Band, said the Bradley Creek wildfire devastated much of a reserve community near Vernon. “It was hard to recognize my community from the air with all the structures and the forest gone,” Wilson said after surveying the area by helicopter. The destruction ranks among Canada’s worst recent wildfires. A 2024 blaze in Jasper, Alberta, destroyed about 350 homes, while the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire, also in British Columbia’s Okanagan region, destroyed about 200 homes. Canada has endured increasingly destructive wildfire seasons in recent years, with smoke from the blazes repeatedly spreading across North America and triggering widespread air-quality alerts.

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Fire crews and bucketing efforts were able to continue through the night, and into Wednesday morning (Aug. 5) at the Quilpituk Creek wildfire along Westside Road. As of Wednesday morning, the blaze remains 742 hectares in size and out of control. Additionally, all evacuation orders and alerts remain in place. In total, 2,223 properties (approximately 5,113 residents) are on order and 425 (approximately 976 residents) are on alert. …Throughout Tuesday, fire crews assessed the danger trees along the east flank of the fire, establishing a 10-foot edge on the perimeter of the blaze. Along the north flank, crews and heavy equipment moved west, extending hose lines to suppress the fire’s edge. Along the south and north flanks, heavy equipment continued to establish contingency lines, working as far up the slope as they can, said BC Wildfire Service (BCWS). Multiple fire personnel and structure protection crews are on scene.

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After a day of cooler temperatures and calm conditions, the Bradley Creek wildfire showed “no significant growth” on B.C. Day, according to BC Wildfire Service. BCWS said crews have been working on the north and south flanks of the blaze to mop up hot spots around homes in community areas. Meanwhile, structure protection and defence crews have continued to extinguish hotspots near homes along Westside Road, conducting roving patrols overnight. “There continues to be significant Fire Department support overnight to assist with structure protection and structure defence…,” said BCWS. At this time, multiple evacuation orders and alerts remain in place…The human-caused fire sparked on July 31 and has since grown to an estimated 2,603 hectares in size. BCWS continues to work alongside the Okanagan Indian Band Fire Department actioning the blaze. …The Bradley Creek wildfire is currently one of six wildfires of note in the province and one of 120 active wildfires.

Additional coverage

• CBC News, by Simon Little: No major growth on wildfire near Vernon, B.C., but thousands remain forced from homes
• Canadian Press, by Ashley Joannou: Lakeside homes destroyed, evacuations expanded as B.C. wildfires surge

B.C. Hydro says it will have to replace hundreds of power poles due to wildfires raging in the southern part of the province, but that its major transmission lines have escaped major damage. “There is quite a long list of items that are going to be replaced,” B.C. Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer told CBC’s Daybreak North. The Pear Lake wildfire, burning near Clinton, has torched more than 230 power poles and knocked out power to about 1,100 customers. In the Boston Bar area, the fires of the Brunswick fire complex have left about 100 customers without power and burned 34 transmission poles. Significant quantities of power line and transformers will also need to be replaced, Gammer said. However, the fires have not knocked out any of B.C. Hydro’s major 500 kV transformer systems, and all of its primary transmission corridors — which supply power to millions of British Columbia — remain in service, the Crown corporation told CBC News.

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BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) continued its tanking operations overnight as they continue to battle the Guichon Creek wildfire in Logan Lake. On Friday morning (July 31), BCWS provided an update, stating the blaze is now 152 hectares in size. It remains out-of-control. On Thursday, BCWS stated it assisted the Logan Lake Fire Department with ground and aerial support. “Skimmers and airtankers actioned this fire to support firefighting personnel and heavy equipment,” said BCWS. Using its helicopters equipped with night vision imaging systems, when visibility allowed, BCWS continued to provide tanking operations Thursday night and into Friday morning. On Thursday, the fire displayed Rank 2 and 3 behaviour, “meaning a surface fire with some open flame, occasional candling, and a slow to moderate rate of spread.”

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The chair of the board in British Columbia’s fire-stricken Thompson-Nicola Regional District says that for a lot of people, the wildfires burning in the area will be “one of the most traumatizing events” they’ll live through. Barbara Roden told an online meeting with about 350 people on Wednesday to reach out for help if they need it, as properties remain under evacuation order across the region, including the village of Clinton, with no timeline for residents to return. …Clinton’s CEO Brian Doddridge told the meeting that property owners will get calls over the next few days to inform them if their home has not survived the large Pear Lake blaze, which measures about 668 square kilometres. Doddridge said the area’s watershed has been “severely damaged” and work is being done to see what effect that has on water quality. …Premier David Eby urged people heading out for the August long weekend to exercise “extreme caution” because of the fire risk.

Additional coverage in CBC News by Arden McLeod and Simon Little: Mayor concerned about controlled burns near Clinton, B.C., as wildfire rages nearby

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Local firefighting crews will get a bit of a reprieve soon as help from other parts of North America are set to start arriving in British Columbia today. As of Monday afternoon, there are more than 130 wildfires burning across B.C., covering tens of thousands of hectares of land. Hundreds of people are out of their homes as a result of evacuation orders, while hundreds more have been told to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said local crews are working flat out to try to stop the fires from spreading. … A total of 25 firefighters from Yukon will arrive in B.C. on Monday, and on Tuesday 66 Albertan firefighting personnel will be on deck to help out their neighbours. Next week 114 personnel from Mexico are expected to join wildland firefighting efforts in British Columbia. …Sebastian Kallos with the B.C. General Employees’ Union, said outside support is a must for local crews.

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MERRITT, B.C. — The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has issued an Evacuation Order for more than 60 properties in response to the growing Ainslie Creek wildfire. The order is in effect for 61 addressed properties in Electoral Areas “I” (Blue Sky Country) and “N” (Beautiful Nicola Valley – South)… “If you are in the described area, you must leave immediately. A person must not enter the Evacuation Order area for purposes of residing, occupying, or visiting the area,” said the TNRD. The Nooaitch Indian Band has also issued an Evacuation Order for its main reserve – IR 10 – upgrading an Evacuation Alert that has been in place since July 8. Evacuees are being directed to the emergency support services (ESS) reception centre in Kamloops. Meanwhile, the Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) has issued an Evacuation Alert in response to the out of control fires in the Brunswick Complex. …The Coldwater Indian Band has also issued an evacuation alert for Paul’s Basin IR No. 2, while the Shackan Indian Band has issued its own evacuation alerts.

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With cooler temperatures and higher humidity in the forecast over the coming days in the Fraser Canyon, the BC Wildfire Service is hoping to use the more favourable conditions to make progress on containing several out-of-control wildfires. The Brunswick Complex consists of the Ainslie Creek fire, the Brunswick Creek fire and the Anderson Creek fire. Morgan Blois, BCWS fire information officer, said cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity is helping keep fire behaviour less aggressive than over the previous several days. “Because it is still quite dry out there as the wind increases in the afternoon, fire behaviour becomes wind and slope driven and so still potential for growth and for aggressive fire behaviour,” she said. With cooler weather expected to continue over the next several days, Blois said those conditions should help keep fire behaviour at “a more reasonable level.” She said there is still potential for aggressive behaviour in the late afternoons, when temperatures hit their peaks.

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A wildfire northwestern B.C. along Highway 16 just west of Cedarvale is continuing to grow. Highway 16 traffic is currently single lane for alternating traffic. On July 22 at approximately 8 p.m., BC Wildfire Crews responded alongside the Gitwangak Fire Department to a report of an RV fire on Hwy 16 that had spread into the brush. An initial attack crew remained onsite overnight and observed significant debris and rockfall onto Hwy 16, which prompted the existing lane closures. An operational response plan for today is being assessed and developed to find workable objectives for ground crews where it is safe to do so. Aviation resources on site today include two helicopters and air tanker support. Ground resources include water tenders and heavy equipment, which will be deployed where access and conditions allow. The current operational priority is maintaining the safety and integrity of the Highway 16 corridor.

Evacuation orders in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon are spreading as the Brunswick Creek wildfire continues to burn out of control. The latest call for locals to get out comes in the Hells Gate area, just downstream of the community of Boston Bar, where the Fraser River’s flow tightens. Another covers an unspecified number of properties along Scuzzy Creek Forest Service Road, on the west side of the river. …Gordon Robinson, a fire information officer with the Brunswick complex, said the cause of the Anderson Creek wildfire is under investigation. …A third wildfire sparked south of Boston Bar Tuesday afternoon, rapidly growing to more than 4,300 hectares and creating strong winds that drove fire behaviour at another nearby blaze, according to the BC Wildfire Service. The Anderson Creek wildfire, located east of Hicks along Highway 1, is the newest of three large wildfires burning near Boston Bar. …Fire behaviour increased “rapidly” Wednesday evening when smoke cleared over three wildfires near Boston Bar, and the BC Wildfire Service said there is the potential for aggressive fire behaviour again tomorrow. …Highway 1 has been closed to traffic. 

Additional coverage:

• Global News by Amy Judd: B.C. wildfires force closure of 2 major highways linking Lower Mainland, Interior
• Fraser Valley Today, by Mike Vanden Bosch: Highway 3 closed between Hope and Manning Park due to wildfire activity

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Wildfire activity in B.C. has increased significantly in recent days, with 600 properties under evacuation order and thousands more on alert, officials said in a briefing Tuesday. …The B.C. Wildfire Service says close to 34,000 lightning strikes were recorded during the final half of last week and have heightened fire activity across the province. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 85 fires burning, 79 per cent of them believed to have been ignited by lightning. This has resulted in 600 properties being placed under evacuation order, mostly in the Fraser Canyon, and 5,700 more being put on alert, the majority in the Kimberley area, according to Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Kelly Greene. She said the province is supporting 430 evacuees, and encouraged anyone at risk of having to leave their homes to pre-register for emergency support services. …Two new evacuation orders were issued Monday for the Downing Park area southwest of Clinton due to the Pear Lake wildfire.

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Evacuation orders in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon are spreading as the Brunswick Creek wildfire continues to burn out of control. The latest call for locals to get out comes in the Hells Gate area, just downstream of the community of Boston Bar, where the Fraser River’s flow tightens. Another covers an unspecified number of properties along Scuzzy Creek Forest Service Road, on the west side of the river. Earlier Tuesday evening, the Fraser Valley Regional District ordered any residents remaining in Boston Bar to evacuate the area immediately, saying a new wildfire had ignited south of the community and was spreading quickly due to strong winds. A new evacuation alert was issued for the area south of Hells Gate, stretching to the Alexandra Bridge, a historic suspension bridge built in 1926.

Related coverage in Kelowna Daily Courier: New fast-moving fire triggers urgent call to evacuate Boston Bar, B.C.

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Recent days have seen B.C.’s wilderness struck by lightning almost 34,000 times, fire crews report, and the hot, dry conditions are expected to linger. The B.C. Wildfire Service notes almost 100 fires burning, as of Monday afternoon. At the same time, several parts of the province are under a heat warning until Thursday: the Okanagan Valley, the Fraser Canyon, South Thompson, Shuswap, West Kootenay, Kitimat Terrace and the Sunshine Coast. …Sunday saw people living in the East Kootenay city of Kimberley placed under an evacuation alert and the situation remains uncertain in eastern British Columbia. …In the Thompson Nicola Regional District, the Fiftynine Creek and French Bar Creek fires are over 130 and 100 square kilometres in size, respectively, according to the wildfire service. …Prof. Lori Daniels, Koerner Chair in Wildfire Coexistence at the University of British Columbia, noted Canada’s 2026 fire season is within the 30-year average but there are still two months to go.

Firefighters in British Columbia are working to build containment lines between an out of-control wildfire and the city of Kimberley in the province’s southeast corner, where the entire community of more than 8,000 residents has been told to prepare for evacuation. The BC Wildfire Service says it will be using heavy equipment to build the lines and block the fire that’s about 10 kilometres west of Kimberley. The service says the blaze is in steep terrain making direct firefighting difficult and has grown to about six square kilometres since being detected on Saturday. It’s among about 35 fires burning out of control in B.C., where a total of about 100 blazes were active as of late Monday.

Additional coverage in Castanet, by Kathy Michaels: Wind a critical factor as fire triggers evacuation alert for 8,000 in Kimberley, B.C.

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The entire City of Kimberley has been placed under an evacuation alert as an out-of-control wildfire burns west of the East Kootenay community. The alert covers all properties within Kimberley’s municipal boundaries, affecting roughly 9,000 people. Residents are not being ordered to leave but are being told to prepare in case conditions worsen. The Matthew Creek wildfire was discovered Saturday and is estimated to be 5.67 square kilometres (567 hectares) as of Sunday evening. The B.C. Wildfire Service says the fire began at high elevation in steep, mountainous terrain that is unsafe for crews to access directly. It says strong winds, steep slopes and spruce-balsam forest helped drive rapid growth. The blaze was burning as a highly vigorous and fast-moving fire Saturday but crews say fire behaviour had eased by Sunday. …Heavy equipment has been mobilized with three helicopters responding to the wildfire. 

Wildfires south of the border are responsible for “much” of the smoke that has prompted an air quality warning in one region of B.C., according to officials. The provincial wildfire service said an increase in local, lightning-caused fire starts was only partially responsible for poor air quality in parts of the southeast fire centre—including where parts of the Kootenays border the United States. “As wildfire activity increases, so has smoke across many areas of the region. Much of this smoke is originating from fires south of the Canada-U.S. border and will have varying impacts over the coming days,” an update Saturday evening said. …The issue of smoke travelling across the border caused a political firestorm in recent days, in part prompted by a social media post from U.S. President Donald Trump. …Just days before Trump’s post, 56-year-old Canadian pilot Nicholas Dale was killed while fighting a forest fire in Colorado.

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Northwest Territories officials are warning of “extreme fire weather conditions” across much of the territory on Thursday, with hot and dry weather expected to continue in the coming days. Fire information officer Mike Westwick said there were 10 new fires in the territory on Thursday, all triggered by lightning. …Westwick said a fire 35 kilometres west of the community of Gamètì, between Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes, has grown significantly. He said there is currently no danger to the community even though residents may see smoke. Another fire near Wrigley has moved a little closer to the hamlet. While moist air and a cold front are helping firefighters there, Westwick said the wind has pushed the flames about a kilometre closer. It’s now about 11 kilometres from the community. Officials say there’s no imminent threat to any homes or structures.

NWT Fire Facebook Update: Fire Weather Warning

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Parts of Pemberton, B.C., are under an evacuation alert due to the Signal Hill wildfire. The Village of Pemberton issued the alert, which covers 1,377 properties, late Wednesday. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District also issued an alert at that time for all properties in Area C on Collins Road to One Mile Lake to the Lillooet River. Residents are asked to prepare for to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman said these alerts were issued to prepare those affected should the fire move toward the community. Richman said fire crews were happy with the work they had done Thursday, but faced challenges as wind picked up into the evening. He said the fire was being pushed to the east, away from power lines and away from the village. An evacuation order is also in place for One Mile Lake Park. …The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the wildfire was discovered on Wednesday, about five kilometres from Highway 99.

Hot, windy weather and the threat of dry lightning have made firefighting efforts near Boston Bar in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon more dangerous, the wildfire service says. B.C. Wildfire Service said challenging weather conditions are increasing the risk to those working on both the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires. known together as the Brunswick complex. “Right now, for the safety of our crews, we are going to switch our tactics for the next 24 to 48 hours and focus primarily on structure defence and protection,” said BCWS. “So, moving away from the flanks of the fires that are active for the safety of our crews.” Environment Canada’s website showed Boston Bar sitting at 38 C on Thursday afternoon, with a chance of lightning in the evening. …An evacuation order was issued Thursday morning for the Boston Bar townsite after fires in the area grew more aggressive overnight. …An area motel owner said the smoke is so thick around Boston Bar that, at times, it’s impossible to breathe.

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The aircraft churned through the Fraser Canyon night like an alien spectre, twin spotlights illuminating its surroundings but leaving its own bulk obscured. Only when the spectre drifted in front of a wall of orange did the oblongated form of a helicopter reveal itself. That helicopter, dropping water on the blazing hillside, offered a spark of hope for the small Fraser Canyon community of Boston Bar. Ten hours later, Boston Bar would be evacuated as crews braced for a potentially terrible day of fire weather and assessed the changing dynamics from the overnight growth of the blaze. When I stopped briefly in Boston Bar Wednesday evening around 11 p.m., a future evacuation order seemed almost inevitable. Two weeks earlier, the Brunswick Creek fire had broken out on the western side of the river and forced the evacuation of hundreds of rural and First Nation residents, including those in the small community of North Bend.

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Parts of Pemberton, B.C., are under an evacuation alert due to the Signal Hill wildfire. The Village of Pemberton issued an alert at around 11:30 p.m. PT Wednesday. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) also issued an alert at that time for all properties in Area C on Collins Road to One Mile Lake to the Lillooet River. It tells residents to prepare for evacuation if necessary “because of the potential danger to life and health.” An evacuation order is also in place for One Mile Lake Park to “provide safe working space to crews supporting fire operations.” The village said on its website early Thursday morning that the wildfire was discovered about five kilometres from Highway 99. As of midnight Thursday, the fire was 0.1 square kilometres (10 hectares) in size, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). …On social media, the wildfire service said skimmers are working out of Green Lake, northeast of Whistler. 

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) reported 46 active wildfires across the province as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, with firefighting crews continuing suppression and containment efforts on several significant fires. According to the SPSA, four fires are currently classified as contained, eight are not contained, 26 remain under ongoing assessment, and eight are in the protecting values stage. Among the province’s active wildfires, the BUDD fire, located east of Lac La Ronge, remains uncontained and has grown to 2,971 hectares. Fire crews are conducting planned burn-out operations, intentionally igniting forest fuels between a controlled line and the wildfire to help slow its spread. Officials said residents and land users may see smoke or flames on the north and northeast sides of the fire as the operation proceeds. The SPSA emphasized that ignition operations are carefully planned by wildfire specialists, taking into account weather conditions, available resources and public safety.

OSOYOOS – The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has issued an evacuation alert for dozens of homes and properties that are being threatened by a fire on Anarchist Mountain east of Osoyoos, B.C. Residents on Cougar Court and the Sasquatch Trail should be ready to leave as crews battle a blaze on the mountain. The Anarchist Mountain Fire Department says that as of 4 p.m. the fire was being held, but people are being told to avoid the area “to allow emergency personnel to work safely and efficiently.” The local firefighters are battling the blaze with the help of the BC Wildfire Service and the South Okanagan Task Force, and the cause is under investigation. …Elsewhere in B.C., crews fighting out-of-control wildfires near Boston Bar, B.C., were taking advantage of favourable weather to attack the blazes directly, before fire activity was expected to pick up after tempered behaviour over the weekend.

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Crews fighting out-of-control wildfires near Boston Bar, B.C., were taking advantage of favourable weather to attack the fires directly, before fire activity is expected to pick up after tempered behaviour over the weekend. The size of the Brunswick complex of wildfires, consisting of the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires, has changed little since last week with a combined size of more than 188 square kilometres after a weekend of rain and cooler weather. The B.C. Wildfire Service said in an overnight update that crews were also working to protect structures near Boothroyd while establishing fire lines on the southwest flank of the Ainslie Creek wildfire. …An evacuation alert covering 61 properties near Merritt remains in effect, issued by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, while the Nooaitch Indian Band had also told residents of its main reserve to get ready to leave on short notice last week.

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Officials reopened Highway 1 through British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon on Saturday, but warned that active wildfire operations continue in the area. The route had been closed since July 7, as the Brunswick wildfire complex near Boston Bar expanded rapidly in size. As of Saturday morning, the Brunswick Creek wildfire on the west side of the canyon was burning at 28.36 square kilometres and the Ainslie Creek wildfire on the east side was burning at 158.47 sq. km. Both fires remain out of control, and multiple evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect. …while Highway 1 had reopened, there was only one lane active in each direction… No stopping is permitted in the wildfire zone, and drivers are urged to watch for signage and crews. [Prior to the closure] “we had issues with numerous folks pulling over at pullouts to take pictures and videos of the fire,” said B.C. Wildfire Service fire information officer Julia Caracni.

Additional coverage in CBC News: Wildfire sparks East Kootenay evacuation alert, weather helps firefight near Boston Bar

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Dozens of properties in British Columbia’s East Kootenay region are under an evacuation alert as another out-of-control wildfire burns. The Regional District of East Kootenay placed 72 properties in the Premier Lake area under an evacuation alert after the Lussier River fire grew Saturday. It’s the latest B.C. wildfire notice asking people to be prepared to flee since twin blazes near Boston Bar in the Fraser Canyon evacuations. Information from the BC Wildfire Service shows one of the two fires has grown since Friday. …The wildfire service is also asking the public to stop behaviours that could hinder their work. An overnight statement from the agency says that since Highway 1 reopened Saturday, between Boston Bar and Jackass Summit, drivers have been speeding through the fire zone and even stopping to film the ongoing firefighting efforts.. … a drone was also seen flying near the Brunswick Creek wildfire while emergency aircrews were fighting the blaze.