Wildfire near B.C.’s Coquihalla Highway triggers evacuation order and alerts

The Coquihalla Highway remains closed in both directions between Hope and Merritt after shutting Wednesday afternoon amid a growing wildfire.

Update: The Fraser Valley Regional District issued an additional evacuation order in the Coquihalla Lake area on Thursday evening, for the Coquihalla Lake Lodge and the Coquihalla Summit Snowmobile Club.

About 84 properties along the Coquihalla Highway in the British Columbia Interior are on alert and one other has been ordered to evacuate due to an intense wildfire that saw drivers go through showers of embers before the highway was shut down.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says the evacuation order and alerts are due to the Mine Creek fire, which has reached 1,900 hectares in size and is burning near the highway between Hope and Merritt.

The Coquihalla Highway was closed Wednesday in the stretch near the fire and remains shuttered between Hope and Merritt, with motorists advised to take Highways 1 and 3 as alternatives.

Video shared on social media on Wednesday shows vehicles passing large trees engulfed in flames on both sides of the highway, before it was closed in the afternoon.

The BC Wildfire Service says the Mine Creek fire was displaying an intensity level of Rank 5 on a scale of six on Wednesday, indicating extremely vigorous surface fire activity or having an active crown fire.

However, the service says the level has since dropped to Rank 2 and 3 with a moderately vigorous surface blaze, although the fire’s behaviour is expected to increase later in the day as temperatures rise.

“Yesterday, Sept. 3, record high temperatures and winds beyond those forecasted resulted in Rank 5 fire behaviour on this incident,” the update says.

“Accessing this fire has been challenging due to the terrain and multiple bridge washouts from previous flooding,” the update adds. “Priorities are securing Highway 5 (Coquihalla) and the protection of infrastructure in the area.”

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar warned on Wednesday that the province is expecting a rise in wildfire activity due to lightning in the forecast and recent high temperatures.

Metro Vancouver continues to be covered in haze from wildfires with an air quality warning in place for the Lower Mainland and Parmar said the situation could worsen in the next few days.

There are about 151 active wildfires burning in B.C., with nine started in the last 24 hours and 12 were declared out.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.