2 days ago
Swift News
Highway 20 in B.C.'s Cariboo region has reopened to traffic after being closed overnight due to the Beef Trail Creek wildfire, but the Coquihalla Highway remains shut between Merritt and Hope as a wildfire there burns out of control.
In an update Thursday morning, DriveBC said Highway 20 west of Anahim Lake is now open to traffic, but warned that "dynamic wildfire activity in the area" could prompt further closures without notice.
The road is a vital link to Bella Coola and communities along the Central Coast.
The Beef Trail Creek fire, measured at an estimated 78 square kilometres as of Thursday morning, prompted an evacuation order earlier this week for 150 parcels of land and several Ulkatcho First Nation reserves. Evacuation alerts are also in place for nearby areas around Bosk and Dusty lakes, southeast of the evacuation order area.
An evacuation alert means residents should be prepared to leave at a moment's notice, while an evacuation order means residents should leave immediately.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says hot and dry conditions are contributing to large fire growth during the day that is challenging firefighting efforts, though the fire has not crossed Highway 20 or the Beef Trail Forest Service Road.
