A First Nation near Boston Bar, B.C., issues evacuation order as wildfire grows

A helicopter buckets the Brunswick Creek wildfire north of Boston Bar, as shown in this handout photo provided by BC Wildfire Service, on Friday July 3, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-BC Wildfire Service (Mandatory Credit)

An out-of-control fire near Boston Bar, B.C., has grown more than 10 times its estimated size a day earlier, and responders have requested additional resources to deal with it.

BC Wildfire Service says in its latest update posted on Sunday afternoon that the Brunswick Creek fire has now reached a size of more than 12 square kilometres, up from an early report of one square kilometre.

The update came after the Boothroyd Indian Band issued an evacuation order Sunday morning, which followed the Fraser Valley Regional District ordering residents living in the North Bend area to leave.

Officials first detected the Brunswick Creek fire on July 2 and it is believed to have been sparked by human activity.

BC Wildfire say three initial attack crews, two unit crews, and two response officers are responding to the fire, along with six helicopters for day use, and two groups of helicopters equipped with night vision.

It has also requested an incident management team, along with additional resources and aviation support.

However, it also says that poor visibility and step terrain will limit the use of aviation services, adding that the safety of crews, pilots and the public is top priority.

British Columbia’s Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says on social media that BC Wildfire Service continues to support the local fire department with crews and equipment, including helicopters equipped with night vision.

BC Wildfire Service says smoke has been highly visible in the area and has been seen as far away as the Merritt area.

Drive BC says Highway 1, which runs through the area on the eastern side of the Fraser River, remains open, but two local roads on the eastern side of the river are closed in both directions.

The evacuation orders mainly cover areas along the western side of the Fraser River near Boston Bar, which lies on the eastern side of the river.

But the orders also cover areas on the eastern shore of the river north of the community.

Officials have also issued an evacuation alert for the community itself, whose population is just under 200 people.

BC Wildfire says it recommended the first evacuation order and the expanded alerts after high winds in the afternoon resulted in more extreme fire behaviour.

This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2026.