Four homes or cabins among seven buildings lost to fire near Boston Bar: FVRD

UPDATE: 12:23 p.m. An official with the Fraser Valley Regional District says the out-of-control Ainslie Creek wildfire north of Boston Bar has destroyed at least seven buildings, including four homes or seasonal cabins.

Four homes or cabins among seven buildings lost to fire near Boston Bar: FVRD Four homes lost to wildfire UPDATE: 12:23 p.m. An official with the Fraser Valley Regional District says the out-of-control Ainslie Creek wildfire north of Boston Bar has destroyed at least seven buildings, including four homes or seasonal cabins. Patricia Ross, chair of the board of directors for the district, said the losses were identified by rapid damage assessments and more may be confirmed once it's safe to investigate further.

She said it had looked like fire crews were starting to get a handle on the two fires that make up the Brunswick complex last weekend, but winds picked up again earlier this week, howling through the Fraser Canyon and fanning the flames. The shift prompted wildfire officials on Thursday to order the evacuation of the town site of Boston Bar, a community of about 170 residents, while elevated fire behaviour forced crews to pull back and prioritize structure protection. Gordon Robinson, a fire information officer assigned to the Brunswick complex, said conditions are now cooler and more humid, allowing crews to restart their direct attack on the blazes that together span just over 200 square kilometres.

Environment Canada has meanwhile issued a severe thunderstorm advisory for several regions, including much of Vancouver Island, the Peace region in B.C's northeast and a swath of the Interior from Clinton north to Quesnel. While the breakdown of a high-pressure ridge was aiding crews on Friday, Robinson said the forecast suggested the reprieve would be short lived. "There isn't like a big storm and wind event in the forecast like we had [Thursday], but we're going to go back to that hot, drying kind of conditions," he said.

"The weather isn't going to do us any favours, it's also, it's not throwing us a real curve ball like it did [Thursday]," Robinson said of the firefighting efforts at the Brunswick complex. Ross said she was aware that some people in Boston Bar had chosen to remain in their homes and businesses, contravening the evacuation order. "We're not unsympathetic.

It must be incredibly hard," she said in an interview on Friday. "People are trying to stay behind and do their best. "But they're not just putting themselves at risk, they're putting the first responders at risk as well," she said.

Multiple evacuation orders and alerts are in place due to the Brunswick Complex. Click here for more information about which properties are impacted. — The Canadian Press UPDATE: 9:31 a.m.

Highway 1 has reopened through the Brunswick Complex wildfire zone near Boston Bar as cooler, more humid conditions are expected to moderate fire behaviour Friday. The BC Wildfire Service said reduced speeds are in effect and drivers are not allowed to stop near the fire, which is actively burning along the highway corridor. The Brunswick Complex includes the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires, burning on opposite sides of the Fraser River about 20 kilometres south of Lytton.

Together, they have burned more than 20,000 hectares. BCWS said neither the Brunswick Creek nor Ainslie Creek wildfire showed major growth toward structures or critical infrastructure during Thursday’s unstable weather, and minimal growth was reported overnight. Crews are preparing for potential flare-ups Friday afternoon when wind gusts are expected to pick up.

On the Brunswick Creek fire, crews and aircraft are focusing on holding the fire’s east flank, while structure protection work continues around Boston Bar. On Ainslie Creek, crews have resumed direct attacks along the northeast perimeter after shifting to safer parallel and indirect tactics during Thursday’s intense conditions. Helicopters continue to bucket the southeast flank to prevent the fire from moving toward Stoyoma Mountain.

BCWS said more moderate weather is expected through Saturday, but warming and drying conditions will return Sunday and Monday. Multiple evacuation orders and alerts are in place due to the Brunswick Complex. Click here for more information about which properties are impacted.

ORIGINAL STORY: 7:13 a.m. Gusty winds are expected to again challenge crews battling a pair of wildfires near Boston Bar on Friday, a day after dangerous conditions forced some firefighters to retreat.

The Brunswick Complex includes the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires, burning on opposite sides of the Fraser River about 20 kilometres south of Lytton. Together, the two fires have burned more than 20,000 hectares. The BC Wildfire Service is expecting slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidity than Thursday, when erratic winds and unstable conditions forced some crews fighting the Brunswick Creek fire to pull back for their safety.

Boston Bar was ordered to evacuate on Thursday morning, as were nearby First Nations communities. Environment Canada’s forecast calls for highs reaching 34 C in Boston Bar on Friday. Southerly winds are expected to blow at 20 km/h and gust to 40 km/h through much of the day before increasing to 40 km/h with gusts of 60 km/h beginning around 6 p.m. On the Ainslie Creek wildfire, crews have been working along Highway 1 to extinguish hot spots and patrol areas near structures and other important infrastructure.

The fire grew along its northeast flank into steep terrain, but BCWS said the growth was not threatening structures or critical infrastructure. Crews have spent several days working to prevent eastward growth toward Stoyoma Mountain. On the Brunswick Creek fire, structure protection work continues near Boston Bar and firefighters are working to beef up control lines around the community.

Night-vision helicopters have also been cooling hot spots along the southeast flank. Highway 1 remains closed north of Boston Bar due to active wildfire activity along the corridor. Multiple evacuation orders and alerts are in place due to the Brunswick Complex.

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