A semi-truck on fire closed the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt on Friday, just hours after the key route to and from British Columbia’s Lower Mainland reopened following a two-day closure due to a wind-fuelled wildfire.

The truck fire temporarily closed the route in both directions, but the Coquihalla has since been fully reopened, the province’s driver information service said.

The route had just reopened after towering flames forced its closure for several days, and with the wildfire still burning, the Transportation Ministry said drivers could expect the status of the highway to change again on short notice.

It said drivers were advised not to stop in the fire zone, and there would be intermittent lane closures as crews assessed and repaired roadside damage.

Cellphone coverage was down along parts of the route, and because the wildlife fences had been burned, there may be animals on the road, the ministry said.

The Fraser Valley Regional District declared a state of local emergency due to the blaze, known as the Mine Creek wildfire, and issued evacuation orders for the Coquihalla Lakes Lodge and the Coquihalla Summit Snowmobile Club.

A state of local emergency was also in effect across the Cariboo Regional District, where residents of the community of Anahim Lake and surrounding areas were told to leave immediately due to the threat of two encroaching wildfires.

The BC Wildfire Service said the Beef Creek wildfire had grown to more than 100 square kilometres, while the Dusty Lake fire spanned 53 square kilometres.

Evacuees were told to head east along Highway 20 to Williams Lake, more than 300 kilometres away from Anahim Lake, where they could register to receive help at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.

Evacuation alerts issued by the Cariboo Regional District, Ulkatcho First Nation and Tsilhqot’in Nation spanned thousands of square kilometres in the same region.

The BC Wildfire Service has said an incoming weather system was expected to bring little rain but an increased chance of lightning and gusty winds, raising the fire risk.

It said in Friday’s provincial situation report that wildfire smoke was expected to hang around for the next 48 hours until an upper low moves in from the Pacific.

The lingering smoke may temporarily affect the safe operation of firefighting aircraft, the service added.

“Smoke alters local weather patterns by acting much like cloud cover, reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the ground and helping humidity levels to remain a little higher. Wind speed and direction are also affected by smoke.”

A special air quality statement remained in effect for most of B.C., with the exception of Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert and the northwestern corner of the province.

“Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events. You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough,” the weather office said in its bulletin.

There were about 140 active wildfires across B.C., with more than 50 classified as burning out of control.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.