Second wildfire north of Boston Bar grows to 8,800 hectares

A wildfire burning in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon has grown to about 8,800 hectares, according to the Coastal Fire Centre. The Ainslie Creek fire is burning east of Highway 1 between Boston Bar and Boothroyd, and is adding pressure to crews already responding to the nearby Brunswick Creek fire. Officials said Tuesday was especially difficult because of strong winds, steep terrain, dry conditions and fuel that helped the fire spread quickly. The Brunswick Creek fire is also still active and is estimated at about 2,600 hectares. Fire crews are dealing with limited access in parts of the canyon, so helicopters and other resources are being used to fight the fires. About 150 firefighters, 60 structure protection staff, heavy equipment and an incident management team are assigned to the response. Highway 1 remains closed in the affected area, and evacuation orders and alerts are in place for nearby properties, including Boston Bar and some surrounding First Nations communities.