BC orders evacuations as wildfires threaten nearly 1,000

A new evacuation order affecting hundreds of properties was issued Saturday in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon as two major wildfires continued to threaten the region, while a separate, fast-moving fire in the East Kootenay triggered a separate evacuation order for nearly 1,000 properties. The situation remained dynamic on Sunday, August 2, with no new orders issued but significant hazards persisting.

In the Fraser Canyon, the Fraser Valley Regional District upgraded an evacuation alert to an order at 9 a.m. on Saturday for the area along Highway 1 from Alexandra Lodge to Sawmill Creek. Residents were instructed to leave immediately. A new evacuation alert was simultaneously issued for the area from Sawmill Creek to Dogwood Valley, covering more than 400 addressed properties. The orders are a response to the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires, which were both discovered in early July and are suspected to be human-caused. The Brunswick Creek fire is estimated at 7,483 hectares, while the Ainslie Creek fire is significantly larger at 39,819 hectares.

Highway 1 remains closed from Toll Road Yale to Jackass Summit due to significant risks from downed power lines, rock...