Highway 1 reopens in Fraser Canyon, but twin wildfires remain out of control
Officials reopened Highway 1 through British Columbia's Fraser Canyon on Saturday, but warned that active wildfire operations continue in the area.
The route had been closed since July 7, as the Brunswick wildfire complex near Boston Bar expanded rapidly in size.
As of Saturday morning, the Brunswick Creek wildfire on the west side of the canyon was burning at 28.36 square kilometres (2,836 hectares) and the Ainslie Creek wildfire on the east side was burning at 158.47 sq. km. (15,847 ha).
Both fires remain out of control, and multiple evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect.
DriveBC said Saturday morning that while Highway 1 had reopened, there was only one lane active in each direction and a speed limit of 60 km/h was in effect.
No stopping is permitted in the wildfire zone, and drivers are urged to watch for signage and crews.
On Friday, the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said it was taking advantage of the first dip in temperatures and winds in days to improve defenses for homes and infrastructure.
Those conditions are forecast to persist through the weekend before the wind and heat return on Monday and Tuesday, the BCWS said.
The fires in the Brunswick complex are suspected to have been human-caused, a designation given to any fire not ignited by lightning.
As of Saturday, there were 18 active wildfires burning in B.C., four of them classified as out of control.
Thumbnail courtesy of BC Wildfire Service via CBC.
The story was originally written by Simon Little and published for CBC News.