Metro Vancouver wildfire triggers evacuation alert as Fraser Canyon residents begin returning home

An evacuation alert has been issued for 35 properties in the Village of Anmore after a wildfire burning in Belcarra Regional Park raised concerns about potential risk to nearby homes, according to local officials.

The Village of Anmore said residents covered by the alert should prepare essential belongings and be ready to leave on short notice if conditions change. Acting Mayor Doug Richardson said municipal staff are working to support affected residents as needed.

Elsewhere in British Columbia, some residents displaced by wildfires in the Fraser Canyon are beginning to return after evacuation orders affecting Boston Bar and surrounding areas were downgraded to evacuation alerts. According to the Fraser Valley Regional District, people returning home must remain prepared to leave again because the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires, covering more than 480 square kilometres, continue to burn out of control.

The BC Wildfire Service and local authorities also reported additional wildfire damage in the province's Interior. Officials confirmed structures were destroyed on about 120 properties outside Clinton, adding to at least 230 homes previously reported lost near Okanagan Lake west of Vernon.