Brunswick Complex Wildfires Continue to Challenge Fraser Canyon

Ainslie Creek Wildfire Surges to Nearly 17,000 Hectares

Updated July 9, 2026 - The Brunswick Complex wildfires north of Boston Bar remain out of control, with significant growth on the Ainslie Creek fire while crews ramp up resources and maintain 24-hour operations along the Highway 1 corridor.

The Ainslie Creek wildfire (V10755) has grown to 16,987 hectares since its discovery on

July 4.

The Brunswick Creek wildfire (V10742) measures 2,623.2 hectares after being discovered on July 2.

All fires in the complex are designated Wildfires of Note and remain Out of Control. They are being managed by an Incident Management Team based in Boston Bar in the Coastal Fire Centre, with personnel and equipment shared between the incidents.

Highway 1 Impacts

Highway 1 remains closed in the key section between Boston Bar Station Rd and Ainslie Rd N (a 10.5 km stretch, 15–26 km south of Jackass Mountain Summit) due to the wildfire.

A checkpoint is in place at Cornwall Rd (9 km south of Cache Creek) to advise travellers of the closure.

Motorists are directed to use alternate routes via Highway 1 northbound/eastbound toward Kamloops or Highway 97C.

Check DriveBC for the latest road information.

Evacuation Status

Multiple evacuation orders remain in effect for the Brunswick Creek area, issued by the Boothroyd Indian Band, Boston Bar First Nation, and Fraser Valley Regional District (with updates through July 8).

Evacuation alerts are also active for Brunswick Creek (including from Nooaitch First Nations and the Fraser Valley Regional District) and for the Ainslie Creek area (issued by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and updated July 8).

Residents under orders should leave immediately; those under alerts should be ready to evacuate on short notice.

For the latest details, check EmergencyInfoBC and sign up for alerts through the Fraser Valley Regional District and Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

Resources and Operations

Response resources for the Brunswick Complex have been increased:

• 221 firefighters

• 14 helicopters (including two night-vision-equipped groups)

• 34 pieces of heavy equipment

• 61 structure protection personnel

  
  

Crews are operating 24 hours a day. Night-vision helicopters continue heli-tanking, supported by ground crews on overnight direct attack and patrols.

Priorities include maintaining responder and public safety, protecting communities, critical infrastructure, Highway 1, and cultural values.

Specific efforts focus on limiting northward growth of the Ainslie Creek fire, securing the Highway 1 corridor, and forward planning for structures and power/communication lines.

Today, wildland firefighters and structure protection crews worked the east flank of the Brunswick Creek fire to action hotspots, while heavy equipment crews built containment lines and opened access.

Helicopters continued bucketing areas of heat in support of ground crews. Operations are expanding access and establishing containment in the north and east of the fires toward the Thompson-Nicola region. Structure protection remains in place for at-risk values in the valley below the fires.

Weather and Fire Behaviour

Warm, dry conditions with elevated winds are driving continued elevated fire behaviour and potential growth. Fire behaviour is mainly Rank 2 (low vigour surface fire) and Rank 3 (moderately vigorous surface fire), with pockets of Rank 4 (highly vigorous surface fire with torching or passive crown fire) on steep south-facing slopes.

Some torching of trees along the southern edge of the Brunswick Creek fire may be visible from Boston Bar. Winds are expected to blow mainly from the south/southwest during the day and from the south/southeast overnight, with gusts up to 40 km/h.

Similar challenging conditions with elevated fire behaviour are forecast to continue.

Lillooet Area Fire

For context, the Riley Creek wildfire (K70659), approximately 9 km south of Lillooet, remains out of control at 50 hectares. Due to extremely steep, rocky, and unstable high-elevation terrain, a modified response is in place. The fire is monitored primarily through frequent aerial flights rather than active ground suppression or bucketing, as responder safety is the top priority and safe anchoring points for crews are not currently available.

This fire is significantly smaller in scale and impact than the Brunswick Complex fires along Highway 1.

Public Safety Reminder

The public is asked to stay out of areas with active wildfire operations. There may be BC Hydro impacts, check the BC Hydro outage map.

The Brunswick Complex is the official designation used when multiple nearby wildfires are grouped together and managed as a single incident. It consists of the Brunswick Creek wildfire (V10742), the Ainslie Creek wildfire (V10755), and a smaller third fire (V10753). This allows one Incident Management Team to coordinate resources efficiently across all fires.

This story is based on the most recent official updates from the BC Wildfire Service (as of July 9, 2026) and DriveBC.

Brunswick Complex Wildfires Continue to Challenge Fraser Canyon - Ainslie Creek Surges to Nearly 17,000 Hectares