Erratic winds force firefighters to retreat on Brunswick Complex as challenging conditions continue

Erratic winds force firefighters to retreat on Brunswick Complex as challenging conditions continue Fires now 20,000 hectares UPDATE: 8:09 p.m.

Erratic winds force firefighters to retreat on Brunswick Complex as challenging conditions continue Fires now 20,000 hectares UPDATE: 8:09 p.m. Erratic winds over the Brunswick complex wildfires forced some firefighters to retreat to safety as unstable conditions persisted throughout the day, the BC Wildfire Service says.

In an evening update posted online, the BCWS said winds shifted from northerly in the morning, to southerly in the afternoon on the fire. “We have seen several days of elevated fire behaviour and activity on both the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires, following three hot and dry days,” the BCWS stated. On the Brunswick Creek wildfire, strong winds this afternoon forced crews in some areas to pull back for their safety, the BCWS stated.

Along the fire's north flank, several days of heat and dry conditions have also led to flareups in areas that had previously been quiet. The BCWS said elevated and erratic fire behaviour is expected to continue into the evening. A thunderstorm warning remains in effect for the area until midnight.

“During this time our tactics and objectives must shift to ensure the safety of our crews and all personnel working on the fires within the complex,” the BCWS update stated. Crews are expecting smoke in valley bottoms Friday, along with slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Wind gusts of up to 40 km/h are forecast in the afternoon.

Together, the two wildfires have now grown to more than 20,000 hectares. The complex includes the 16,575-hectare Ainslie Creek wildfire and the 3,578-hectare Brunswick Creek wildfire, burning on opposite sides of the Fraser River near Boston Bar, about 20 kilometres south of Lytton. The BCWS said helicopters — including night-vision-equipped aircraft conducting water drops — continue to support suppression efforts, while heavy equipment is building contingency guards and crews continue structure protection work.

Highway 1 remains closed because of the wildfire. According to the Ministry of Transportation, the closure stretches from Lytton to Hope. Multiple evacuation orders and alerts are in place due to the Brunswick Complex.

Click here for more information about which properties are impacted. UPDATE: 3:18 p.m. Gurvinder Badyal operates the Canyon Alpine Motel in Boston Bar, where residents were ordered to evacuate on Thursday morning after a wildfire that has been threatening the community this month erupted aggressively overnight.

But Badyal says she isn't going anywhere — at least not yet. She said she was among several local business owners choosing to stay despite the evacuation order. Badyal said they wanted to protect their properties from the fires, looters and anything else.

"The owners are all here and whoever wants to stay here. I mean, they can't put us in cuffs and take them away, but we are under [evacuation] order. And we're ready, we're all packed.

We're ready to leave if we have to," she said. Badyal is also staying for another reason — her motel is hosting about 35 firefighters. "They're trying to help us as much as they can.

We have sprinklers installed by them on my whole property," she said of the "brave" firefighters who have been working roughly 12-hour shifts each night before coming back to the motel to sleep. The complex consisting of the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek fires had already triggered a series of evacuation orders and alerts involving hundreds of properties, but the order issued Thursday morning extended the evacuation to about 200 properties in and around the town site, which is home to about 170 residents. Evacuees were told to head south via Highway 1, away from the fires that have now closed the highway to the north.

The Fraser Valley Regional District said people in need of support should head to the Shxwháy Village community centre in Chilliwack. The B.C. Wildfire Service said in an update that it expected "aggressive fire behaviour" from the complex to continue. Badyal said she hasn't seen any flames, but the smoke is thick.

"We could barely breathe here," she said. - The Canadian Press UPDATE: 2:51 p.m.

Emergency officials in Merritt are keeping an eye on the situation in the Fraser Canyon, where large wildfires forced the evacuation of Boston Bar on Thursday morning. “We still have our emergency operations centre active at a low level and our ESS team has been supporting evacuees, and we’re continuing to monitor the situation,” said Adam Hart, emergency program coordinator with the City of Merritt. The Fraser Valley Regional District has directed evacuees requiring in-person support to Shxwhá:y Village in Chilliwack.

The Boston Bar First Nation issued an evacuation order for its IR 1 Tuckkwiowhum reserve at midnight and the town was evacuated at 8:30 a.m. The First Nation said in a social media post evacuees in need of lodging and financial assistance can also visit Shxwhá:y Village or Seabird Island near Agassiz, northeast of Chilliwack. “Our team will be going door-to-door today and tomorrow to check in with evacuees and ensure everyone has the support they need,” the social media post reads.

Multiple evacuation orders and alerts are in place due to the Brunswick Complex. Click here for more information about which properties are impacted. UPDATE:

11:08 a.m. The BC Wildfire Service says it expects to see aggressive wildfire behaviour Thursday on a pair of large wildfires burning out of control near Boston Bar, with strong winds forecast for the afternoon. The complex includes the Ainslie Creek and Brunswick Creek wildfires burning on opposite sides of the Fraser River in the Boston Bar area, about 20 kilometres south of Lytton.

The fires were last mapped at 16,197 and 3,194 hectares, respectively. The Fraser Valley Regional District issued an evacuation order for Boston Bar at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday and the Boston Bar First Nation issued an order for its IR 1 Tuckkwiowhum reserve overnight. BCWS said conditions will be unstable over the complex Thursday, with dry lightning and chances of minimal rain.

The wildfire service said it saw elevated fire behaviour and activity on both fires Wednesday evening and aggressive behaviour is expected to continue throughout Thursday, particularly during the afternoon when strong winds are predicted. “We expect to see mainly northerly light winds in the morning, shifting to southerly in the afternoon, with the potential for strong erratic gusts,” an online update reads. BCWS said it will be shifting its tactics and objectives to ensure the safety of crews and personnel working on the fires in the complex.

Highway 1 is closed north of Boston Bar up to Lytton and BCWS said the fires are still active burning along the highway corridor. Multiple evacuation orders and alerts are in place due to the Brunswick Complex. Click here for more information about which properties are impacted.

UPDATE: 10:13 a.m. Firefighters battling the Brunswick Complex wildfires are bracing for strong winds, heat and possible dry lightning near Boston Bar, which was ordered to evacuate on Thursday morning.

The complex includes the 16,197-hectare Ainslie Creek wildfire and the 3,194-hectare Brunswick Creek wildfire burning on opposite sides of the Fraser River in the Boston Bar area, about 20 kilometres south of Lytton. The Fraser Valley Regional District issued an evacuation order for Boston Bar at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. Environment Canada is forecasting temperatures to climb to 35 C in Boston Bar on Thursday afternoon, with southerly winds increasing to 40 km/h and gusting to 60 km/h by about 4 p.m. Showers and thunderstorms are possible beginning Thursday evening, but the BC Wildfire Service has warned storm cells could produce dry lightning and erratic wind gusts of up to 70 or 80 km/h, which could cause fire behaviour to intensify.

Crews had been working around the clock to protect structures between Boston Bar and Jackass Mountain, patrol for hot spots and build containment lines. Heavy equipment was also constructing a precautionary guard around structures and other values near Boston Bar, while helicopters — including aircraft equipped for night operations — were cooling areas of heat along the southeast flank. Firefighters also carried out small-scale hand ignitions to remove unburned fuel between the fire’s edge and control lines.

BCWS said crews would prioritize worker safety if fire behaviour increases during Thursday’s unstable weather. ORIGINAL STORY: 9:11 a.m. Residents of Boston Bar have been ordered to evacuate due to a wildfire that flared overnight.

Evacuees are being told to head south via Highway 1, away from the Brunswick complex of fires that has been threatening the community this month. The Fraser Valley Regional District says people in need of support should head to the Shxwháy Village community centre in Chilliwack. The fire complex consisting of the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek fires had already triggered a series of evacuation orders and alerts involving hundreds of properties, but the order issued Thursday morning extends the evacuation to the town site, which is home to about 170 residents.

An evacuation order and alert were separately issued for a new fire looming over Pemberton, B.C., as the number of fire starts across the province spiked overnight. The BC Wildfire Service says there are now about 31 active blazes across British Columbia, including 14 started in the last 24 hours. — with files from The Canadian Press More Kamloops News - Wildfire north of 6-MileNelson - 8:20 pm - Fires now 20,000 hectaresBoston Bar - 8:09 pm - Sun's unfinished businessBCFC - 8:00 pm - Collage exhibition opening Nelson - 7:54 pm - Heat warning endedSouthern Interior - 7:40 pm