Late-season wildfire prompts evacuation alert in eastern Fraser Valley

AGASSIZ, B.C. – An out-of-season wildfire has put residents of a rural area on the edge of Agassiz, B.C., under evacuation alert.

The District of Kent has declared a state of local emergency and says the blaze on the side of Limbert Mountain south of the Canadian Pacific Railway line is posing a risk to life and health.

The alert covers about a dozen properties and says residents should be prepared to leave if conditions change.

The BC Wildfire Service says the fire discovered Thursday is believed to be human-caused and is just over one hectare in size.

Many parts of British Columbia have experienced drought conditions this fall, in stark contrast to the torrential rains that wreaked havoc on the province one year ago.

Conditions have eased in many areas, but B.C. government data shows much of the Lower Mainland including the site of the wildfire remains under level 3 of a five-level scale, meaning adverse effects are possible.

The province's northeast has been at the highest drought level, meaning adverse effects are almost certain, for more than one month and the Sunshine Coast is under a state of emergency at drought level 4.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2022.