The Flood Falls Trail fire is burning near Hope Friday. UPDATE: 6:15 p.m Evacuation alerts have been issued in the Hope area due to a wildfire burning above Highway 1. The Flood Falls Trail fire, southwest of Hope, is still estimated at 50 hectares. The BC Wildfire Service is responding to the fire with 45 firefighters and five helicopters, along with assistance from the Hope Fire Department. The District of Hope and the Fraser Valley Regional District issued an evacuation warning for residents of the Flood Hope and west Silver Creek areas early Friday evening. Residents should go to the emergency management website here for online information and exact locations. District of Hope shared on Facebook that alerts will be delivered manually and through the Alertable App. If required, further instructions will be issued through the Alertable App and the District website. “We are asking people to avoid Flood Falls Road and the area around the airfield. Congestion at the airport has begun to concern responders and may disrupt operations,” the district said. While the fire remains highly visible from the community of Hope and Highway 1, BCWS said it is not impeding traffic at this time. DriveBC reminds travelers that parking is not permitted on the highway. BCWS crews will continue to work and monitor the fire overnight tonight “Today due to hot, dry conditions and gusty winds, increased fire behavior was visible. This fire is burning on very steep terrain, presenting access challenges for ground crews. Helicopters are focusing on the bin on the north and east sides of this fire.” , BCWS said. The fire is believed to be human-caused, but remains under investigation. UPDATE: 13:50 The wildfire burning near Hope Friday afternoon has grown to 50 hectares in size, despite a large response from the BC Wildfire Service and the Hope Fire Department. The fire, which first ignited Thursday afternoon, is highly visible from both Hope and the Trans-Canada Highway, but the highway remains open at this time. Strong winds in the area are pushing the fire to the east and north, towards the highway, and helicopters are currently on those sides in an effort to slow the growth. “Due to warm, dry conditions and gusty winds, this fire is expected to grow throughout the day today,” BCWS says Friday. “This fire is burning very steep terrain that presents access challenges for ground crews.” Fire Information Officer Paula Walbauer says increased winds are expected later this afternoon. BCWS says the fire is not threatening any homes or infrastructure at this time, although construction of the TransMountain Pipeline is nearby. “It’s not blocking traffic right now on Highway 1, but I know the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has been notified and also the Fraser Valley Regional District will be looking at evacuation notices this afternoon,” Walbauer said. 45 BCWS firefighters are currently working to extinguish the blaze, along with municipal firefighters from the Hope Fire Department. The fire is believed to be human-caused, but remains under investigation. The fire has now been classified as a ‘wildfire’ by the BCWS. Photo: BCWS Flood Falls fire map shows how close it is to the Trans-Canada Highway. ORIGINAL: 9:45 am A new wildfire burning near Hope has quickly grown to 30 hectares in size, but is expected to increase in size on Friday. The fast-growing Flood Falls Trail fire is burning in very steep terrain southwest of Hope and is highly visible from the town and the Trans-Canada Highway. The BC Wildfire Service is currently on scene assisting the Hope Fire Service. Five helicopters are chasing the east and north sides of the fire, along with a ground crew. However, fire information officer Julia Caranci says an additional 40 BCWS firefighters are on the way, in addition to the Hope firefighters already on the scene. The fire, believed to be human-caused, started on Thursday, and pictures from Highway 1 show large flames in the hills above the highway. But Caranci says there are “no values, lives or structures at risk” at this time from the fire, including the highway. “We’re anticipating some growth on this fire throughout the day today,” Caranci says. “Today is expected to be a fairly cool day with some higher speed gusts … due to the weather, it’s very dry, windy and blustery today. So we expect some growth in the fire today.” At about 1:30 a.m., the Hope Fire Department said in a Facebook post that the fire was “inaccessible at this time and being monitored overnight.” “It poses no risk to properties at this time and will be dealt with in daylight for safety,” the fire service said.
#BCWildfire Service and @HopeFireDept are responding to the Flood Falls Trail fire (V12335) located in southwest #HopeBC. The fire is estimated at 30 hectares and has been declared out of control. Burns down an extremely steep slope in third place, … pic.twitter.com/RTvEHMGPWN — BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) September 9, 2022
