BC cuts evacuations as Bradley and Wait Creek fires calm

Firefighters in British Columbia are making progress against several significant wildfires, with some evacuation orders being scaled back after a weekend of aggressive fire growth driven by strong winds. The most notable developments are occurring with the Bradley Creek wildfire near Spallumcheen and the Wait Creek wildfire east of Kimberley, though multiple other blazes continue to burn across the province.

The Bradley Creek wildfire, which was human-caused and ignited on July 31, is now estimated at 2,603 hectares. After a day of cooler temperatures and calm conditions on Monday, August 3, fire activity showed no significant growth. This allowed crews to make enough progress to shrink the evacuation order area considerably and rescind some alerts as of Monday evening. Officials, however, continue to urge the public to stay out of order zones due to hazards like downed power lines and unstable trees. Multiple evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect from several regional districts and First Nations. Fire crews are focusing on mopping up hotspots around homes, with structure protection teams conducting overnight patrols along Westside Road and other corridors. Highway 97...