The Mine Creek wildfire on Monday, Sept. 8 (Image credit: BC Wildfire Service).

By Aaron Schulze

Mine Creek Wildfire

Crews fighting Mine Creek wildfire focus on direct attack as weather shifts in their favour

Sep 8, 2025 | 11:40 AM

HOPE, B.C. — Weather conditions at the Mine Creek wildfire site have turned in favour of the BC Wildfire Service.

Crews responding to the wildfire burning on both sides of the Coquihalla Highway north of Hope experienced temperatures of around 20 C and relative humidity upwards of 55 per cent Sunday (Sept. 7), and those conditions are likely to persist until Wednesday (Sept. 10).

“We’re mostly going to see lower fire behaviour and likely very little spread thanks to this weather. However, we’re going to see skies clearing today,” Emelie Peacock, BC Wildfire Service fire information officer, told CFJC Today. “We have some thunderstorm activity forecast, so should the clear skies combine with winds, we may see some increase in fire behaviour in places where the winds and slope align.”

Precipitation in the area of the fire is expected to be spotty, according to the wildfire service. Peacock says thunderstorms could bring up to 10 millimetres of precipitation at the mid-slope and higher elevated spots near the fire, but not in the valley bottoms.

Over the past few days, Peacock says the Mine Creek wildfire has seen Rank 1 and Rank 2 fire behaviour, meaning patches of the 3,006-hectare perimeter are burning like a smouldering ground fire and a low vigour surface fire.

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With the fire behaviour and weather conditions on their side, Peacock says crews can directly attack the fire.

“On both the northeast and south flanks of the fire, our crews are going to be conducting direct attack. They’re establishing a hose trail and they’re mopping up; working up to 50 feet in from the fire’s edge,” Peacock added. “We’ve got heavy equipment on scene… working on constructing containment lines. They’re working primarily on the northeast flank of the fire.”

Helicopters are also bucketing the wildfire and helping secure the perimeter when visibility permits.

Elsewhere, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District downgraded an evacuation order for one property in Electoral Area “N” (Beautiful Nicola Valley – South). The property at 6705 Juliet Dr. is now under an evacuation alert with 84 other properties.

Image credit: TNRD

The Fraser Valley Regional District has also downgraded its evacuation orders in the Coquihalla Lakes area near the Coquihalla Summit.

The Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt is open in both directions with a travel advisory in effect. There is no stopping allowed between Exits 231 and 250 and a number of highway exits and washrooms are closed.

Peacock also said sections of Highway 5 are an active worksite, and she’s asking drivers to be careful while passing through the area.