Wildfire near Boston Bar leads to evacuation alert; firefighters also monitoring Lillooet-area fire

The fire is burning west of the Canadian Pacific rail line, and no impacts are expected to the Trans-Canada Highway, which is on the opposite bank of the Fraser River.

The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) has issued an evacuation alert for four properties on Chaumox Road, north of North Bend in Electoral Area A. Information can be found here.

The fire is suspected to be human caused.

Firefighters are also keeping watch on the Riley Creek fire south of Lillooet, which has been burning for the past week.

The lightning-caused fire is an estimated 50 hectares in size, but there has been no update from the BC Wildfire Service since Monday (June 29).

The BC Wildfire Service said this blaze is currently burning upslope into rocks and snow at high elevation in “incredibly steep, rocky and unstable” terrain.

“As it is burning in unsafe and inaccessible terrain, a modified response is being used to manage this wildfire,” a statement from the BCWS said. “Due to the terrain, this is a common response strategy in the region.”

“Responder safety is the number one priority for the BC Wildfire Service, and we will not place staff in an unsafe environment. As there are currently no safe areas to anchor crews or resources, the fire is being monitored by frequent flights and continually assessed for achievable objectives.”

That update noted that crews will be deployed in areas where its safe for them, if the fire moves downslope into a more-accessible area.

The Riley Creek fire has been mainly burning Rank 1 and Rank 2 meaning a smouldering ground with some visible open flame, but over all a small rate of spread.

by Victor Kaisar

Wildfire near Boston Bar leads to evacuation alert; firefighters also monitoring Lillooet-area fire

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