Routes into B.C.’s Interior snarled as fire spreads near HWY 3, HWY 5 and HWY 1 reopened but reduced
Posted September 5, 2025 6:44 am.
Last Updated September 5, 2025 6:46 pm.
The closure of Highway 5 between Hope and Merritt due to wildfire continued Friday morning, as flames also spread near one and a crash shut down the other two main routes from the Lower Mainland into B.C.’s interior.
The stretch of highway has since reopened.
The Turnbull Creek fire is visible from Highway 3 in Manning Park.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says it is ‘out of control’ and continues to spread, covering 7.5 square kilometres north of the highway.
In a Thursday afternoon update, BCWS said the “fire has grown considerably in the past two days, mainly to the northeast and the west.”
“The fire is approximately [two kilometres] away from Highway 3 but does not pose a threat to the highway at this time. Growth has mainly been away from the highway.”
Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton is one of the two main routes open into the interior at the moment.
Over the morning, the Coquihalla Highway was closed because of a fire that has jumped over the highway and spread rapidly over the past two days.
The Mine Creek Fire near the Coquihalla summit covers almost 20 square kilometres as of the last update Thursday.
In an update on social media, DriveBC says the Coquihalla Highway reopened at noon. It says no stopping will be allowed between Hope and Merritt.
The provincial Ministry of Transportation and Transit says “drivers should be prepared for the Coquihalla Highway to be closed” again on minimal notice, due to the wildfire.
“Intermittent lane closures can be expected as crews continue to assess and repair roadside damage, and visibility is reduced due to wildfire smoke. Drivers should also be prepared for an increased risk of wildlife presence due to fire damage to wildlife-exclusion fencing on this section of highway,” the ministry said.
The Britton Creek and Coquihalla Lakes washroom facilities are closed. The Juliet, Mine Creek and Falls Lake exits are also closed.
“Cellphone coverage in the area has also been affected by the fire, with no coverage on sections of the highway.”
Thursday evening, the Fraser Valley Regional District issued an evacuation order covering the Coquihalla Lake Lodge and Coquihalla Summit Snowmobile Club.
That is in addition to the evacuation of a property near Juliet Creek ordered Wednesday evening by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
An evacuation alert covers dozens of properties over a larger area, including the community of Brookmere.
A smaller, 111-hectare fire along the Fraser River near Sailor Bar is being held. It is not currently affecting the nearby Highway 1, but the route was temporarily closed south of Yale after a crash Friday morning.
—With files from Charles Brockman
