Serious wildfire activity has made its way to the Lower Mainland.
A wildfire near Agassiz has forced the closure of a provincial park and a key thoroughfare in the region.
The 140-hectare High Creek wildfire is burning about 10 kilometres from Agassiz, above Highway 7, and was zero per cent contained on Saturday.
The fire has been upgraded to a “wildfire of note,” one of 39 such large wildfires burning on Saturday.
BC Parks says Sasquatch Provincial Park is closed as of noon on Saturday as a result, and all campers and other park visitors have been asked to vacate the area.
Highway 7 was also closed in both directions between Chowat Road and Jonson Slough, to allow crew and aircraft movement.
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DriveBC has no estimate for when the road will be reopened, and drivers are advised to take Highway 9 to Highway 1 as an alternate route.
The BC Wildfire Service had 25 firefighters and three helicopters on scene as of Saturday, and are building helipads to improve access.
READ MORE: ‘We’re in serious trouble’: concern growing over massive wildfires burning near Burns Lake
As of Saturday, no structures were threatened by the fire.
The fire is believed to be human-caused.
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