Highway 1 now closed through the Fraser Canyon: DriveBC

FRASER CANYON – DriveBC now says Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon is closed due to the Brunswick Creek wildfire.

According to a social media post on X/Twitter at 3:51 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Highway 1 is now closed between Boston Bar Station Road and Ainslie Road North due to the wildfire.

The fire was estimated at 1,800 hectares Tuesday afternoon. It has since grown to 2,623.2 hectares as of Wednesday morning, while the Ainslie Creek wildfire is now estimated at 8,846.2 hectares as of Wednesday morning.

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.”