After wildfires delayed reopening, Hwy 1 through Fraser Canyon closed again

An approximately 60-kilometre stretch of Highway 1 in southwest B.C. has been closed once again, hours after it reopened.

The section of highway in the Fraser Canyon between Boston Bar and Lytton was closed for two weeks from Aug. 17 after the Kookipi Creek fire jumped the roadway.

While it reopened Tuesday morning, a Tuesday afternoon update from DriveBC says the stretch will be closed from 8:30 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday due to anticipated rainfall.

"There is debris flow risk due to forecast rain," reads a tweet from the B.C. Transport Ministry.

An earlier statement from the ministry had warned lanes or the entire highway could be closed again at any time depending on conditions. 

"This includes the possibility of proactive closures during rainfall to ensure the safety of travellers as the fire-damaged hillside may shed runoff and debris," the statement read. 

B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation said Tuesday morning that its contractors had completed removing dangerous trees and loose rocks from the bluffs above the highway.

The ministry had warned that drivers taking the route should still prepare for "lengthy delays" by carrying plenty of water and food and ensuring their fuel tanks are full. 

"Drivers are reminded to obey posted speed limits and use caution around roadside workers. There is no stopping along the route outside of traffic queues, and if heavy smoke is present, please travel with headlights on," a statement said.

 The Kookipi Creek blaze is burning over almost 170 square kilometres, around 140 kilometres northeast of Vancouver and is still deemed a fire of note, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. 

Alternative routes between the Lower Mainland and the Interior include highways 3, 5, and 99.