Out-of-control wildfire near Boston Bar, B.C. exceeds 12 square kilometres

An out-of-control fire near Boston Bar, B.C., has grown more than 10 times its estimated size a day earlier, and responders have requested additional resources to deal with it.

BC Wildfire Service said in an update posted on Sunday afternoon that the Brunswick Creek fire grew to more than 12 square kilometres, up from an earlier report of one square kilometre.

The update came after the Boothroyd Indian Band issued an evacuation order Sunday morning, which followed the Fraser Valley Regional District ordering residents in the North Bend area to leave.

While the order from the regional district covered 120 properties, it was not clear how many properties were affected by the order of the First Nation.

Regional district officials also issued an evacuation order for the area of Fishblue Lake.

Officials first detected the Brunswick Creek fire on July 2 and it is believed to have been sparked by human activity.

BC Wildfire said three initial attack crews, two unit crews, and two response officers were responding to the Brunswick Creek fire, along with six helicopters for day use, and two groups of helicopters equipped with night vision.

It said it also requested an incident management team, along with additional resources and aviation support.

However, it also said that poor visibility and step terrain limited the use of aviation services, adding that the safety of crews, pilots and the public is top priority.

British Columbia’s Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said on social media that BC Wildfire Service continues to support the local fire department with crews and equipment, including helicopters equipped with night vision.

BC Wildfire Service said smoke has been highly visible in the area and has been seen as far away as the Merritt area.

Drive BC said Highway 1, which runs through the area on the eastern side of the Fraser River, remained open, but two local roads on the eastern side of the river were closed in both directions.

The evacuation orders mainly cover areas along the western side of the Fraser River near Boston Bar, which lies on the eastern side of the river.

But the orders also cover areas on the eastern shore of the river north of the community.

Officials have also issued an evacuation alert for the community itself, whose population is just under 200 people.

BC Wildfire said it recommended the first evacuation order and the expanded alerts after high winds in the afternoon resulted in more extreme fire behaviour.

The fire near Boston Bar was among 25 active wildfires in the province on Sunday, eight of which started in the previous 24 hours, with one declared out, according to BC Wildfire.

It said six of the fires that started in the preceding 24 hours were classified as out of control, meaning they were spreading or were anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter or control line.

The remainder of the fires were under control or being held.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press