Brunswick Creek wildfire balloons to 1,200 hectares, forcing evacuations near Boston Bar, B.C.

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An aggressive wildfire burning near Boston Bar, B.C., has grown sharply and has forced evacuation orders and alerts in some communities in the Fraser Canyon.

The Brunswick Creek wildfire has grown from about 100 hectares on Saturday to more than 1,200 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. It is now listed as a wildfire of note — the only fire categorized as such in the province.

The wildfire service uses that category for fires that are creating an increased level of public interest and to make response information easier to find.

Officials detected the Brunswick Creek fire on July 2 burning near the community of Boston Bar, along Highway 1. It is believed to have been sparked by human activity.

The Fraser Valley Regional District has issued an evacuation order for the entire community of North Bend and the surrounding area extending north along Chaumox Road, affecting about 146 properties.

Boston Bar and North Bend sit across the Fraser River from each other in the rugged Fraser Canyon. About 500 people live in the area.

The regional district says that nearly 260 properties in the community of Boston Bar are under an evacuation alert but many of these properties don’t contain structures.

The Boothroyd Indian Band has also issued an evacuation order for its community, just north of Boston Bar, because of the fire.

An aerial view from a plane shows smoke rising from a wildfire burning on a forested mountainside near roads and a river. — Firefighters are battling the out-of-control wildfire near Boston Bar, B.C. (B.C. Wildfire Service)

Boothroyd resident ‘devastated’

Carolyn Sankey, who lives in Boothroyd, said her community was evacuated around noon Sunday.

She spoke to CBC News from the Hope Recreation Centre in Hope, B.C., where evacuees were being directed for support.

“I’m devastated. I’m tired. I just want to rest, honestly,” Sankey said. “I’m praying they just get the fire out. We need rain.”

Sankey said about 100 people live in Boothroyd.

A woman in a pink top speaks in a parking lot with vehicles behind her and smoky skies in the distance. — Carolyn Sankey, a Boothroyd Indian Band resident, says her community was evacuated as the Brunswick Creek wildfire grew near Boston Bar, B.C. (Gordon Loverin/CBC)

She said the community had been placed on alert Saturday and was told to be ready to leave on short notice. By Sunday morning, she said, ash was falling heavily around her home.

Sankey said her family had packed a few suitcases in the back of their truck the night before and covered them with a tarp, which was soon covered with ash.

“There were holes in our tarp from the ashes, so we knew we had to get out of there.”

She’s now heading to a hotel in Chilliwack arranged by Boothroyd Indian Band, while her husband plans to return to help fight the fire.

A smoky sky is visible behind buildings and parked vehicles at a recreation centre. — Smoky skies are seen from the Hope Recreation Centre in Hope, B.C., where evacuees have been directed to for support. Smoke from the fire has been highly visible around Highway 1 and has been seen as far away as Merritt and Hope. An air quality warning is now in place for the Fraser Canyon south area. (Gordon Loverin/CBC)

“That’s his land, that’s his home,” she said. “I’m just worried. I’m praying. I’ve never prayed so much … worried for all the homes, all the animals.”

The community in Boothroyd was also evacuated in 2023 because of the Kookipi Creek wildfire, which burned in the Fraser Canyon and forced evacuations in several communities.

She said the latest fire has brought that fear back.

“When I see the pink and orange skies, it looks like the end of the world,” she said.

Strong winds driving fire growth

Samantha Bellion, an information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service’s Coastal Fire Centre, strong downslope winds gusting between 40 and 50 kilometres an hour caused a major shift in fire activity.

“After high winds, high downslope winds in the afternoon, resulted in extreme fire behaviour,” Bellion said.

She said the fire saw significant overnight growth, with much of that growth moving north and away from the North Bend community.

But Bellion said the situation remains dynamic and people near the fire need to follow directions from local authorities.

Thick brown and white smoke rises from a forested mountainside near a road. — Smoke from the Brunswick Creek wildfire rises above the Fraser Canyon near Boston Bar, B.C. The photo was shared by a resident of the valley upriver from Boston Bar. (Jody Phibbs)

Bellion said the strong winds, which are common in the Fraser Canyon, have also created new spot fires, including fires now listed separately on the wildfire map.

Crews are now prioritizing spot fires north of the main incident, and supporting structure protection in nearby areas.

The wildfire service says steep terrain and poor visibility can limit the use of aircraft, and responder safety remains the priority. An incident management team has been requested, with additional resources and aviation support.

Drive BC says that Highway 1, which runs through the area on the eastern side of the Fraser River, remains open but Chaumox Road is closed between Boston Bar Station road and 4 Barrel road due to the wildfire.

Smoke from the fire has been highly visible around Highway 1 and has been seen as far away as Merritt and Hope.

An air quality warning is now in place for the Fraser Canyon south area, which includes North Bend, Boston Bar and Lytton.