Wildfire triggers evacuation alert in East Kootenay as crews battle fires near Boston Bar

An outofcontrol wildfire north of Cranbrook, B.C., has prompted an evacuation alert for 72 properties near Premier Lake in the East Kootenay region. The Lussier River fire, first detected on Saturday, had grown to about 1.15 square kilometres by Sunday and was being fought by B.C. Wildfire Service crews with ground teams and air support. Officials said no buildings or infrastructure were immediately threatened, but residents in the alert area were told to be ready to leave quickly if conditions worsen. The fire is believed to be humancaused. Elsewhere in the province, firefighters near Boston Bar were making use of a brief break in the weather to slow two large outofcontrol fires on opposite sides of Highway 1, known as the Brunswick fire complex. The Brunswick Creek fire grew slightly overnight to about 30 square kilometres, while the larger Ainslie Creek fire remained at about 158 square kilometres. Crews said warmer, windier weather is expected to return Monday. As of Sunday afternoon, B.C. had 22 active wildfires, including seven classified as out of control.