The Kokahala Highway in the interior of British Columbia (BC) was partially closed from the afternoon of September 3rd due to wildfires but reopened on the 5th, the BC government announced.
The road closure was between Hope and Merritt and remained closed in both directions on the 4th. BC urged drivers to use Highway 1 or 3 as a detour. The closure was caused by the Mine Creek Fire, which started about 44 kilometres northeast of Hope and had grown to 1,900 hectares as of Wednesday morning, according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
The fire was first confirmed on September 1st and is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike. By the evening of September 3rd, several local administrative districts had issued evacuation advisories. BCWS has deployed building protection units to protect critical infrastructure in the area and is conducting firefighting activities using aerial firefighting aircraft and helicopters.
The highway closure comes amid a surge in forest fires in the state due to record high temperatures at the end of summer and numerous lightning strikes. State Forest Minister Ravi Parmar warned on September 3 that “the risk of forest fires in the state has not yet passed.” He said the latest weather forecasts indicate that the forest fire situation will continue to be severe and called on state residents to take measures to prevent forest fires and to be prepared in case of an emergency.
The Kokahala Highway has reopened in both directions between Hope and Merritt, but DBC is warning drivers not to stop and to expect limited visibility as wildfire effects are still present.