British ColumbiaThe Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt has reopened after being closed for two days because of the out-of-control Mine Creek wildfire.Coquihalla Highway open again between Hope and Merritt, Highway 1 reopens lane north of Hope after crashCBC News · Posted: Sep 05, 2025 12:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 6The Mine Creek wildfire, seen on Sept. 1, has forced the closure of the Coquihalla Highway. (Submitted by Doran Hoge)Low on power or data? Use CBC Lite for the latest wildfire news.The Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) between Hope and Merritt has reopened after being closed for two days because of the out-of-control Mine Creek wildfire.The Ministry of Transportation says the highway is being closely monitored and could close again with little warning due to the fire’s proximity.Drivers are being urged not to stop in the fire zone and to expect intermittent lane closures as crews assess roadside damage. Visibility in the area remains poor because of wildfire smoke, and cellphone coverage is down along sections of the route.The ministry also warns of increased wildlife risk, because flames have damaged fencing designed to keep animals away from the road.Highway 1 crashTravel between B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Interior was disrupted Friday morning, with a serious crash shutting down Highway 1 north of Hope Friday, on top of the closure of the Coquihalla Highway due to the Mine Creek wildfire, which has grown to about 19 square kilometres.Until Friday morning, drivers had been detouring from the Coquihalla via Highway 1 or Highway 3.Highway 1 opened to single-lane alternating traffic around 12:45 p.m. PT Friday, according to DriveBC. Police said a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck collided head-on around 6 a.m. PT.WATCH | Highway reopens afterwildfire: Coquihalla Highway reopens after wildfire closureThe Coquihalla Highway is now open to drivers between Hope and Meritt after the Mine Creek wildfire prompted its closure. But as Johna Baylon reports, the fire continues to burn out of control, placing much of the province under an air quality warning.B.C. Highway Patrol says the driver of the tractor-trailer is unhurt, but the driver of the pickup has been taken to hospital with serious injuries and the cause of the crash is being investigated.The earlier closures on the Coquihalla and Highway 1 had left Highway 3 through Princeton and Highway 99 via Pemberton as the only main road routes eastward.Wildfire evacuationsOn Thursday, local officials issued new evacuation orders due to the Mine Creek wildfire.The Fraser Valley Regional District says it has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for the Coquihalla Lakes Lodge and the Coquihalla Summit Snowmobile Club site.The Mine Creek wildfire had already triggered an evacuation order and evacuation alerts from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District for properties along the highway.Video shared to social media Wednesday shows vehicles passing large trees engulfed in flames on both sides of the Coquihalla Highway, before it was closed in the afternoon.✅OPEN – #BCHwy5 #Coquihalla has officially reopened in both directions between #MerrittBC and #HopeBC No stopping along Highway 5, expect limited visibility and heavy smoke due to the ongoing Mine Creek Wildfire. #BCWildifre https://t.co/s4R0fiNUJI—@DriveBCTwo fires have also triggered evacuation orders from the Cariboo Regional District and the Ulkatcho First Nation for areas around Anahim Lake, Nimpo Lake and Charlotte Lake in central B.C.The orders have been prompted by the 93-square-kilometre Beef Trail Creek wildfire and the 45-square-kilometre Dusty Lake fire.The Beef Trail Creek wildfire, seen here on Aug. 29, triggered new evacuation orders in central B.C. on Friday. (Submitted by B.C. Wildfire Service)Evacuees there have been told to leave immediately and head east along Highway 20 to Williams Lake where they can register and get help at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex. Parts of B.C. remain under heat warnings and special air-quality statements, with Environment Canada warning that “numerous regions” are likely to be impacted by smoke over the next day or two. With files from Shaurya Kshatri and The Canadian Press
Coquihalla Highway reopens after wildfire closure
