Cold front threatens to ignite new blazes and fuel rapid fire spread in B.C.

The B.C. Wildfire Service warns that an incoming cold front with strong winds and lightning could spark new fires and accelerate the growth of existing ones, prompting additional evacuation orders across the province.

A cold front moving into British Columbia is expected to generate strong winds and lightning, conditions that fire experts say will likely ignite new wildfires and cause existing blazes to spread rapidly. Aydan Coray of the Provincial Wildfire Coordination Centre highlighted the heightened risk of fast-moving fires from convective activity. By early Saturday, the province had issued 35 evacuation orders and 31 alerts, impacting roughly 5,800 homes and businesses.

The Fraser Valley Regional District elevated the alert for the Brunswick Creek Complex and Ainslie Creek fire to a mandatory evacuation, affecting 40 properties, and the Spuzzum First Nation placed its reserve lands under evacuation orders. Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson urged the government to declare a state of emergency, noting the Pear Lake fire grew from under 750 to 905 square kilometres in a single day. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said protecting communities and ensuring firefighter safety remain top priorities as more than 100 fires burn across the province.