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yesterday

B.C. Wildfires: New Cariboo Evacuations as Smoke Begins to Ease and Coquihalla Stays Volatile

Forecasters expect smoke to thin near most communities Monday with cooler, unsettled weather in the Interior.

Residents across much of the BC Lower Mainland woke again Saturday morning to a thick blanket of wildfire smoke covering the region.
File photo of smoky skies from wildfires in Vancouver. Photo: Nick Procaylo/PNG.
Photo of the Beef Trail Creek wildfire burning in the B.C. Cariboo taken on Sept. 4, 2025.
A cyclist is silhouetted while a pedestrian walks on the False Creek seawall as smoke from wildfires burning in B.C. and the U.S. hangs in the air, in Vancouver, B.C., on Sept. 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Overview

  • The Cariboo Regional District issued a new evacuation order Sunday for the Smokey Lake fire area covering 85 parcels and 42 structures, adding to orders and alerts affecting communities around Anahim Lake, Nimpo Lake and Charlotte Lake.
  • The Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt is open but subject to sudden closure, with a travel advisory for heavy smoke after a semi-truck fire briefly shut the route Friday and with damaged wildlife fencing and patchy cellphone coverage persisting.
  • Fraser Valley authorities maintain a local state of emergency for the Mine Creek wildfire and have ordered evacuations at Coquihalla Lakes Lodge and the Coquihalla Summit Snowmobile Club sites.
  • BC Wildfire Service reports the Beef Creek wildfire at more than 100 square kilometres and the Dusty Lake fire at 53 square kilometres as crews contend with critically dry fuels.
  • Environment Canada’s special air quality statements remain in effect across much of B.C., though Metro Vancouver ended its advisory Sunday, and the province lists about 140 active fires with over 50 out of control as lightning and gusty winds remain a risk.