Wildfire near Boston Bar enlarges by over 500 hectares, another business closes due to fire

NORTH BEND/BOSTON BAR/FRASER CANYON – The BC Wildfire Service now says the size of the Brunswick Creek wildfire in the Fraser Canyon has expanded by another 500-plus hectares.

According to the latest update as of 3:11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, BCWS now says the fire is 1,800 hectares. Its last update indicated the fire was 1,230 hectares.

An incident management team is managing the Brunswick complex, and at least 100 firefighters have been assigned.

Twelve helicopters are involved in battling the fire, including two night-vision equipped helicopters.

Seven pieces of heavy equipment, in addition to structure protection personnel and equipment are assigned to the Brunswick Complex.

In the latest response update, BCWS says the weather is warm and dry today with gusty winds forecast for the Fraser Canyon throughout the day. “Winds will be blowing from the south up to 35 km/hour. The fire is expected to become more active with windy conditions, especially in areas where wind and steep slopes align. Cooler temperatures will briefly return by the end of the week, but no appreciable rain is expected in the short-term forecast.”

Blue Lake Resort announced this past Sunday that it would close due to the nearby wildfire. In the past hour, Canyon Lanes announced at 3:21 p.m. Tuesday that it would be closing until further notice.

“We are working on a solution to be able to provide the town with these essential services hopefully within the next few days,” said Canyon Lanes Bowling Centre, which also doubles as an essential meeting space in the community. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and will post an update as soon as we’re able to reopen. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and please stay safe.”