Latest news with #JuliaCaranci
Global News
7 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
Out-of-control wildfire near Harrison Lake now 70 hectares in size
An out-of-control burning on the east side of Harrison Lake grew slightly overnight. The Bear Creek wildfire is burning about 20 km north of Harrison Hot Springs. It was first spotted on Tuesday and is now mapped at 70 hectares in size. Campers were evacuated from the area on Tuesday evening, and on Thursday, the Fraser Valley Regional District issued an evacuation alert for the North Cascade Bay area, south of the fire. The alert covers the Cascade Peninsula Recreational Site. 3:28 Nearby wildfire has Lytton residents on edge Officials believe the fire was caused by human activity. Story continues below advertisement 'We are asking people to stay out of the area where active wildfire operations are ongoing,' said fire information officer Julia Caranci. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Specific to Harrison Lake, we ask the public to avoid and stay out of the area, north of the Cascade Peninsula and south of the Silver River.' Two forest service roads, the Harrison East and Kookipi FSRs, have been closed due to the fire. Their closure means the Cogburn and Bear Creek recreation sites are inaccessible. The BC Wildfire Service has assigned two unit crews, five helicopters and a skimmer aircraft group to the fire.
CBC
31-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Campers near B.C.'s Harrison Lake asked to rethink long weekend plans due to wildfire
Meanwhile, Cantilever Bar wildfire remains out of control about 10 kilometres south of Lytton Campers looking to pitch a tent at a popular lake in B.C.'s Fraser Valley may have to find alternative plans due to an out-of-control wildfire that was first detected on Tuesday evening. The Bear Creek fire, located by Harrison Lake, covers an area of 65 hectares as of 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). First responders are asking the public to stay off Harrison Lake, and fire information officer Julia Caranci says that some campers in the vicinity were already asked to leave for their own safety. "We are going to be recommending some road closures very likely before the long weekend," she told CBC News. "This is just to keep people out of the area, to keep responders safe." Caranci said exact details on road closures would be posted as they happen, and firefighters were requesting that people stay out of the area entirely and find other places to recreate, ahead of the B.C. Day long weekend. "I totally understand that this is going to change plans for a number of people. This is a very popular high-use recreational location," Caranci said. "But we want people to stay clear of the active wildfire operations, especially because this is an emerging incident." Embed | Location of Bear Creek wildfire near B.C.'s Harrison Lake Open full embed in new tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. The fire is suspected to be human-caused, a broad category that includes all fires not sparked by lightning. Caranci said that B.C.'s South Coast was extremely dry over the last couple of weeks, posing challenges for firefighters. "We are going to see some instability coming up, possibly some rain in some parts of that Fraser Valley area, but nothing substantial as far as we can see in that short-term forecast," she said. Campfires remain banned in much of the South Coast, and larger Category 2 and Category 3 fires — which include larger stubble fires and large burn piles — are prohibited throughout B.C. Image | HARRISON LAKE WILDFIRE Caption: Smoke from the Bear Creek wildfire near Harrison Lake is seen from a nearby marina in this picture posted by the B.C. Wildfire Service. (B.C. Wildfire Service/X) Open image in new tab Size updated for Lytton fire BCWS data shows a blaze south of Lytton, B.C., that has triggered multiple evacuation alerts is three times its original estimated size and continues to burn out of control. The service's latest update on the Cantilever Bar wildfire says it is now measured at 4.6 square kilometres, up from the 1.5 square kilometres reported earlier this week. Image | Cantilever Bar Wildfire near Lytton 28 July 2025 Caption: A image of the Cantilever Bar wildfire taken by the B.C. Wildfire Service. The fire is burning out of control about 10 kilometres south of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River. (B.C. Wildfire Service) Open image in new tab The update says the larger estimate is due to more accurate perimeter mapping after smoke cleared enough to allow aircraft to fly overhead. Evacuation alerts have been issued by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and three local First Nations communities for a handful of area properties. WATCH | Wildfire south of Lytton leads to evacuation alerts: Media Video | Wildfire south of Lytton, B.C. leads to evacuation alert Caption: Provincial officials say they're hopeful firefighting efforts will protect Lytton from a nearby out-of-control wildfire, as the small village continues to rebuild from the catastrophic 2021 blaze. The Cantilever Bar wildfire was discovered on Monday, about 10 kilometres south of the village. The CBC's Chad Pawson has more. Open full embed in new tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. The wildfire service says the Cantilever Bar wildfire is about 10 kilometres south of Lytton. Lytton is a small Interior B.C. community that was devastated by fire in 2021 — and is located on the east side of the Fraser River. The BCWS says the fire is highly visible from Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway) and motorists should drive with extra caution. The blaze is also suspected to be human-caused. The service says 45 firefighters are on site, and "conditions are very dry and fuels are highly susceptible to ignition." There are about 60 active wildfires across the province, with out-of-control blazes reported in the Fraser Canyon, the Rockies near Jasper National Park and the northeastern corner of B.C. The service says a forecast of above-seasonal temperatures and the risk of dry lightning across almost all of the province this week could increase the probability of new fires, despite anticipated low winds.
Global News
31-07-2025
- Climate
- Global News
‘Stay out of the area': Crews battle 65-hectare wildfire next to Harrison Lake
People camping on the east side of Harrison Lake were evacuated from the area as a precaution on Tuesday as crews battled a new out-of-control wildfire. The Bear Creek wildfire, which was discovered Tuesday evening and has grown to 65 hectares in size, is burning just south of the Bear Creek Recreation Site. It has been classified as a 'wildfire of note,' meaning a fire that is especially visible or poses a threat to public safety. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A helicopter crew equipped with night vision technology bucketed the fire overnight, and two unit crews with helicopter and airtanker support continued the fight on Wednesday. Fire crews are asking the public to respect any alerts or closures. 'This is an emerging incident; we do understand this may change a number of people's plans, but we do ask that you stay out of the area,' BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Julia Caranci said. Story continues below advertisement 'The fire remains out of control in status at this time … and we do have very active operations happening there.' Officials believe the fire was started by human activity. The BC Wildfire Service has warned it expects an uptick in fire activity this week, with much of the province's Interior baking under heat warnings and drought conditions plaguing the South Coast and Vancouver Island.
CTV News
25-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
2 small wildfires burning out of control in B.C.'s Lower Mainland
A small wildfire burning within the Mission Municipal Forest is seen. (Courtesy: City of Mission) Crews are tackling two small wildfires that ignited during a lightning event in B.C.'s Lower Mainland this week. Both are classified as out of control. The first is located on Mount Crickmer near the City of Mission, discovered on Wednesday afternoon. The spot fire is burning in 'extremely steep and inaccessible terrain,' B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Julia Caranci told CTV News. An attack crew will deploy to the area Friday to draw up an action plan. The other fire, which sparked the same day, is burning west of Harrison Hot Springs and is an estimated 0.7 hectares in size. Caranci said a 22-person crew was assigned to the fire Friday. She said no structures or infrastructure are threatened by either blaze, nor is public safety an issue. Of the 69 active wildfires in B.C., seven were classified as out of control as of Friday morning. Related: Full coverage of B.C.'s 2025 wildfire season
Globe and Mail
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
Squamish, B.C., reports progress on wildfire fight, while rain expected in northeast
There's optimism from firefighters and local authorities as crews battle blazes in opposite corners of British Columbia heading into the weekend. The District of Squamish is reporting minimal overnight growth in the Dryden Creek fire that triggered a local state of emergency this week, while the BC Wildfire Service expects rain to help suppress the Pocket Knife Creek wildfire in the northeast. Smoke map: Squamish wildfire harms air quality in Whistler as warnings in place in B.C, Alta., Y.T. That fire is the biggest in the province at more than 1,500 square kilometres, and the wildfire service says it has grown significantly since merging with another fire on Sunday. BC Wildfire Service information officer Julia Caranci says in a video update on social media on Thursday that anticipated rain could aid in suppression efforts this weekend. She says she's hopeful the rain will help, although the fire has a large perimeter and it remains to be seen how much the rain affects fire behaviour. A situational report posted to the service website on Friday said rain was forecasted for most of northern B.C. this weekend before easing Sunday, and it warns of the possibility of slides caused by sudden rainfall on eroded areas. The report noted a 'warming trend' was expected to return to the province on Sunday, which could then stretch into next week and increase fire behaviour. Wildfire evacuees from remote north faced with hard decisions about their pets The blaze looming over Squamish, north of Vancouver, has grown to nearly 60 hectares in size, with the district reporting that crews made 'strong progress' on the southwestern flanks, while aviation crews focused on bucketing the northern edge. The district says in a posting to social media late Thursday that the fire spread on the northern side from 'steep, inoperable terrain into more accessible areas, allowing crews to engage more directly in suppression efforts.' The Squamish fire is among nearly 100 blazes actively burning across the province. There are three wildfires of note, the Pocket Knife Creek, the Kiskatinaw River fire and the Summit Lake fire, all in the northeast where most of the province's fire activity is concentrated.
