Mine Creek fire, Sept. 2 (Image Credit: BCWS)

By James Peters

Wildfire Situation

Deepening drought, unseasonable heat to usher smoke into southern B.C.: province

Sep 3, 2025 | 3:02 PM

KAMLOOPS — Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says smoke from wildfires burning inside and outside B.C. will shroud much of the province in the coming days.

In a provincial wildfire situation update Wednesday (Sept. 3), Parmar said what has been a primarily clear-skied summer is about to turn.

“We should expect to see wildfire smoke come south in the days ahead. Weather forecasters are saying the smoke is going to become a major factor in the next 24-to-72 hours,” said Parmar.

British Columbians are being warned to move activities inside to avoid both short-term and long-term health problems.

“Although we have much more to learn about these longer lasting health impacts, it’s important to understand that if you take measures to protect yourself from wildfire smoke when it’s smoky outside, you’ll also be protecting your health in the longer term,” noted Dr. Sarah Henderson, the scientific director of environmental health services at the BC Centre for Disease Control.

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According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), there are 150 active wildfires in the province as of Wednesday afternoon, with 56 classified as out of control. The largest in the Kamloops region is the Mine Creek wildfire along the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Hope, now measured at 483 hectares.

BCWS says the fire is highly visible from the highway, but is burning upslope into previously burned area, which has decreased fire behaviour to Rank 3, indicating a moderately vigorous surface fire.

Fire activity is being driven by unseasonably hot, dry weather and parched conditions on the land.

“Even though we saw a bit of rain in July and August this summer, we’re seeing that our fuels are very receptive for this time of year,” noted the BCWS’ Cliff Chapman. “In particular, September is when we start to see the burning period shrink. Our fuels are less receptive to new starts, they’re less receptive to large fire. This September, we’re seeing kind of the opposite of that.”

“Some relief that we saw, particularly in the mid-August period, did create some improved conditions — particularly in the streams around the province,” concurred David Campbell, head of the BC River Forecast Centre. “What we’ve seen is that transition to the hot and dry weather that we’ve had for the last couple of weeks and that is forecast into the next week has seen the gradual buildup, again, of some of those dry conditions, lower streamflow. As a result, we’ve seen deepening drought levels across the province.”

Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for much of the Southern Interior.

Meantime, Parmar says there were no critical injuries after the ‘forced landing’ of a BC Wildfire Service helicopter south of Pemberton Wednesday morning.

Parmar says the plane was carrying an initial attack crew of three people plus the pilot when it went down.

He notes details are few, but all four occupants are accounted for and are being assessed by emergency responders and healthcare providers.