Wildfire sparks East Kootenay evacuation alert, weather helps firefight near Boston Bar

Dozens of people have been told to leave their homes on a moment's notice due to an out-of-control wildfire in British Columbia's southeast.

Wildfire sparks East Kootenay evacuation alert, weather helps firefight near Boston Bar Alert affects 72 properties north of Cranbrook, B.C. Dozens of people have been told they must be ready leave their homes on a moment's notice due to an out-of-control wildfire in British Columbia's southeast. The Lussier River wildfire, first spotted on Saturday, is burning about 65 kilometres north of Cranbrook and has grown to about 1.15 square kilometres in size. The Regional District of East Kootenay has issued an evacuation alert for 72 properties near Premier Lake.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says it is responding to the fire with two unit crews and air assets. The fire is classified as out-of-control, and is believed to be human caused — the label the BCWS applies to any fire not sparked by lightning. The alert comes as wildfire crews continue to battle a pair of out-of-control fires on opposite sides of Highway 1 near Boston Bar, known as the Brunswick fire complex.

According to the BCWS, the Brunswick Creek wildfire grew slightly overnight to about 30 square kilometres in size, while the larger Ainslie Creek wildfire remained static at about 158 square kilometres. Multiple evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect for the fires. The BCWS said that it had to suspend air operations attacking the Brunswick Creek wildfire on Saturday after someone flew a drone into the area.

"This is a very serious occurrence," wildfire information officer Emilie Peacock told CBC News. "It has the potential to jeopardize our operations as we work to protect homes and other values." Flying a drone in a wildfire zone is illegal, and can result in a $25,000 fine or up to 18 months in jail.

The wildfire service also said it had received multiple reports of people speeding on a freshly-reopened stretch of the highway in the Fraser Canyon on Saturday or stopping to take photos and videos of wildfire operations. "This puts our responders at great risk and interrupts our operation during a critical time," Peacock added. Wildfire crews have been taking advantage of a brief dip in temperatures to attack both fires, and say while flames are visible from the Boston Bar area, current wind direction is pushing the Brunswick Creek fire away from communities.

"With fire behavior slightly dampened, we're able to get closer to fires edge," Peacock said. "So our ground crews, wildland firefighters as well as structural firefighters are working along the edges of the fire and are are putting water on the fire and ensuring that priority values are protected around the community." A burn scar from the 2023 Kookipi Creek wildfire is helping check the Brunswick Creek fire's growth to the north.

Peacock said ground crews are also focusing their attack on the Ainslie Creek fire's southwest side, while air crews have been targeting a portion of the fire that's pushed into the Merritt fire zone but is in steep, alpine terrain. A return to hotter and windier conditions is expected by Monday.