Boston Bar Evacuated as Brunswick Fires Hit 27,000 Ha

A fast-moving wildfire has forced the evacuation of Boston Bar and surrounding communities in British Columbia's Fraser Canyon, with hundreds of properties under mandatory orders as a complex of fires grows to over 27,000 hectares. The situation escalated late on July 21, when residents were ordered to flee as flames lined the mountains on both sides of the Fraser River.

The immediate threat stems from a rapidly growing spot fire, designated V11090, which erupted south of Boston Bar and quickly grew to approximately 1,000 hectares. This fire is part of the larger Brunswick Complex, which consists of three major blazes: the Anderson Creek fire at 4,332.9 hectares, the Brunswick Creek fire at 6,139 hectares, and the Ainslie Creek fire at 17,298.5 hectares. Officials from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) stated that until the fire no longer poses a threat, protecting community values is the top priority.

Fire behavior has been volatile. While smoke moderated activity for much of July 22, it also grounded firefighting aircraft. When the smoke cleared around 5 p.m. that day, the fire behavior increased rapidly. The Brunswick Creek fire crossed Skuzzy Creek and moved upslope southwest...