A section of Highway 1 outside of Hope reopened Monday afternoon after a rockfall caused by an out-of-control wildfire. On Sunday, the eastbound lanes of Highway 1 were closed in the area and travelers had to detour through Agassiz using Highways 9 and 7. Westbound traffic remained open along Highway 1. As of 3pm on Monday, the motorway was reopened after it was “determined to be safe”. “The fire had caused some instability on the slope, resulting in a small rockfall on the eastbound lane of the highway,” the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure told Glacier Media. The Flood Falls Trail Fire ignited Thursday night in steep terrain around the Trans-Canada Highway. As of Monday, it is estimated to be 520 hectares in size and has 78 firefighters and seven helicopters working to extinguish the blaze. So far, 12 properties near the fire have been forced to evacuate their homes and many more are on watch as it continues to burn. Emil Anderson Maintenance reported that the eastbound lanes are open and using a “contraflow” lane. “With the current fire conditions and additional traffic changes, we are likely to see an increase in travel times. We encourage everyone to drive safely and ask motorists to watch for signs and directions from traffic controllers in the area,” the company said. . BC Fire Service information officer Paula Walbaeur says other debris from the fire was also falling onto the highway. “It’s something that will certainly continue to be monitored with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. We still only have one lane open on that eastbound traffic, so that’s further reduced so that there’s more room there as this fire is along and it has high altitudes and very steep terrain,” he says. The safety of crews and people traveling on the motorway is constantly assessed. Alanna Kelly, Glacier Media UPDATE 11:20 AM The Flood Falls fire has now been mapped at 520 hectares. ORIGINAL 10:35 AM The Flood Falls fire burning above Highway 1 near Hope, BC remains out of control and has now reached 500 hectares in size. The Fraser Valley Regional District and District of Hope issued evacuation orders for 13 properties in the Laidlaw and Hunter Creek areas on Sunday. Eastbound lanes of the Trans Canada Highway remain closed west of Hope. Additional evacuation notices remain in effect for areas south of the Trans-Canada Highway. “We expect to see increasing smoke this morning and a deeper flow will allow evacuation this afternoon. We’re hoping for clear skies this afternoon,” BC Wildfire Service spokeswoman Paula Walbauer said. The forecast also calls for cooler temperatures and a chance of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, which will help firefighters bring the blaze under control. 78 firefighters, structural protection teams, seven helicopters and two pieces of heavy equipment have been assigned to the fire. Crews have also been working overnight the past two nights and are hoping for better visibility for the helicopters today, “yesterday was a big challenge on Highway 1,” Walbauer said. “Hopefully all of these things will help us as well as the cooler temperatures to be able to deal with this fire easily, although it’s in quite steep terrain and it’s very difficult with the topography, to be able to have crews working but hopefully that today with clear skies, helicopters will be able to have easier access.” The fire is believed to be human-caused. Photo: BCWS
