Wildfire near Trans-Canada Highway closes eastbound lane

UPDATE — July 16, 2024: Evacuation order near Spences Bridge; Highway 1 fire being held.

An active wildfire visible from the Trans-Canada Highway between Chilliwack and Hope has closed the eastbound lane for about five kilometres, according to DriveBC, even as crews from Australia and New Zealand make their way to B.C. to help battle the roughly 150 wildfires across the province.

The province's driver information service says the one-hectare fire, which was discovered Monday, is between Exit 146 and Exit 151. It said those on the roads should "expect delays."

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), two initial attack crews and a helicopter from the provincial service are assisting the local fire department in tackling the blaze, which has been classified as being held. 

The BCWS also says the fire was suspected to have been caused by human activities, either intentionally or accidentally.

Despite all the radio, TV and social media posts spreading the news about the campfire ban on Friday, the Chilliwack Fire Department said in a statement that its crews attended several campfires over the weekend to put them out and issue fines.

Those who violate a burning ban face a $1,150 ticket and may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000.

The highway blaze is one of around 150 wildfires burning across the province, according to the BCWS, though the service's website says there are currently no fires of note.

Among the other fires is R50969, about 20 kilometres north of Terrace in northwest B.C. The fire is just south of Kitsumkalum Provincial Park and about 800 metres from Highway 113, with a large column of smoke highly visible to surrounding communities, the service says.

People have been evacuated from the park and a nearby recreational site in response.

The wildfire service also provided updates on wildfires K70913 and K70910 between Spences Bridge and Ashcroft in the southern Interior. Although activity on those fires increased Monday afternoon, neither are threatening communities or structures, and crews continue to respond, including helicopters bucketing in water.

Elsewhere in the province, the District of Wells lifted an evacuation order on Monday for an area around Cornish Lake and Nine and Eight Mile lakes that was issued on July 19 due to the Cornish Mountain Fire.

The Cariboo Regional District has also lifted an evacuation alert for the nearby tourist town of Barkerville because of the same wildfire. 

The district said that the alert will be lifted Tuesday afternoon. 

More help on the way

A 20-person crew from Nova Scotia came in over the weekend to help fight fires, while two firefighting aircraft from Ontario have landed and will be stationed in Williams Lake, according to the BCWS. 

The service also announced Monday that it will soon receive support from Australia and New Zealand. It said on social media that two incident management teams, with 15 people each, will arrive July 19. Two days later, 30 additional staff will land in B.C. to fill specialized positions including helicopter coordinators and fire behaviour analysts. 

The province will foot the bill, according to Jean Strong, a BCWS fire information officer. 

The additional staff will "provide us with more people power as we're heading into the next week of heat and dry, but also those continued seasonal temperatures through the remainder of the summer," Strong said. 

'Increased heat' this week: BCWS

In addition, the wildfire service says this week will bring "increased heat," marking a 15-day trend of hot and dry weather that has fuelled a surge in fire activity. The temperatures at Hope and Chilliwack near the highway fire were forecast to go up to 27 C on Monday, according to Environment Canada.  

Thunderstorms will roll into eastern B.C. by mid-week, and winds will pick up, which the BCWS says has the potential to increase fire activity in the province.

The service says the hot and dry trend that has already led to increased fire activity will continue throughout the southern half of B.C.

"As conditions are hotter and drier, things can spread faster," Strong said. "And they can smoulder."

Environment Canada has maintained heat warnings for parts of the southern Interior from the Fraser Canyon up to the south Cariboo as well as the Okanagan Valley, the area along the Canada-U.S. border and the Kootenay Lake area.

The weather office says daytime highs in the 30s are expected through the week.