The Coquihalla Highway is open between Hope and Merritt, according to B.C. officials, who note Google maps was providing inaccurate information about the impact of a nearby wildfire on the route Sunday. The popular navigational aid was showing a closure near the Coquihalla Summit due to the Mine Creek fire, which prompted a complete closure of Highway 5 between Hope and Merritt last week. “The road is OPEN with a travel advisory in effect” a social media post from DriveBC said. The travel advisory warns drivers of several closed exits, reduced visibility due to smoke, a prohibition on stopping near the wildfire, and the potential for “intermittent lane closures and stoppages.” In an update Sunday, the B.C. Wildfire Service said the Mine Creek fire is estimated at just over 30 square kilometres and is continuing to burn out of control. “With the Coquihalla re-opened for traffic in both directions, we are asking the traveling public to exercise extreme caution when traveling through this corridor,” the BCWS website said. “This is an active work site and our crews are working parallel to, and potentially directly on, the highway as well as using the corridor and local forest service roads to move between sections of the incident.” While cooler weather has the potential to decrease fire behaviour, precipitation in the forecast may being new challenges for both firefighters and drivers, according to the agency. “Thunderstorms are a safety consideration for our crews as gusty, erratic winds can result in increased fire behaviour and heavy downpours, which can make highways and back roads wet and slippery,” Sunday’s update said. Maintaining access to the highway and ensuring safety on the route are priorities for crews, as is protection of property and infrastructure. The response includes an incident management team, 46 firefighters, eight helicopters, and six pieces of heavy equipment.
