Vancouver Rundown

Dozens of people are on evacuation alert as a new and rapidly growing wildfire rages in the East Kootenay. The 1.15 square kilometre fire was first reported Saturday about 65 kilometres north of Cranbrook. The fire is believed to be human caused - a term used for any fire not caused by lightning. Meanwhile, cooler weather has allowed for Highway One to be reopened in the Fraser Canyon where the massive Brunswick Complex fire continues to burn. The BC Wildfire Service says its crews have had to suspend some firefighting efforts due to illegal drones in the area.

Breaking news: One person has suffered serious burns in a house fire in Mission. The fire broke out on Cherry Avenue near Doersksen Drive at around 6:00 p.m. Thursday, quickly spreading through the home. There’s no early word on the cause.

More breaking news: There’s been an apparent drowning at Mission’s Hayward Lake. Vancouver Rundown has learned fire crews performed CPR on an unresponsive victim, pulled from the water early Thursday evening. RCMP are investigating.

The BC Nurses Union plans to extend its pickets to more hospitals and care centres in the province. The BCNU says major facilities around the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island will be impacted. The move comes after negotiators hit an impasse. Essential services will remain in place.

Some buildings have now been lost as a massive wildfire continues to grow in the Fraser Canyon. As of Wednesday evening, the two massive fires near Boston Bar are now covering close to 20,000 hectares. Crews says strong winds and very dry conditions are making the fight against the Brunswick Complex fires difficult. More evacuation alerts have been issued, extending north into the Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Thick smoke from the fires is spreading into parts of the B.C. Interior.

The U.S. has indicted two dozen suspected gangsters, including several from B.C., for transnational crimes including extortion and murder. It follows an investigation into the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Two of those charged include those accused of shooting Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the parking lot of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple on June 18, 2023. Tuesday’s arrests followed searches in Surrey, White Rock and West Vancouver. Those arrested in B.C. face extradition to the U.S.

Air quality warnings are now in place as smoke from a Fraser Canyon wildfire funnels into the Lower Mainland. A yellow air quality warning has been issued due to high particulate matter - meanwhile some smoky haze is visible in many parts of the Fraser Valley. The Brunswick Creek wildfire continues to burn across the Fraser River from Boston Bar - local evacuation orders remain in place. The fire stayed about the same size on Monday at 12.3 square kilometres.

A wildfire in the Fraser Canyon continues to grow as evacuation orders remain in place. The Brunswick Creek wildfire is now at least 1,200 hectares forcing all residents of North Bend, across the river from Boston Bar, to leave. Crews have spent the weekend battling the fire from the air and on the ground. More hot, dry weather is in the forecast for the next few days.

The federal government will kick-in close to $3B for the new Fraser River Tunnel project. Prime Minister Mark Carney has mad that announcement in Vancouver as part of federal-provincial government partnership dubbed the Canada-B.C. Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. Some suggest the total cost of the Massey Tunnel replacement could be close to $9B - about double what the provincial government had projected. The City of Delta has called for a review of the costs.

The Vancouver Park Board has hit Ken Sim with a legal opinion saying the mayor is making promises that are not included in the Board’s own plans. It’s demanding Sim and city council stop such announcements. Commissioner Tom Digby tells the Vancouver Sun the mayor can cross things off but he can’t add things. The Vancouver Charter gives the board exclusive power over parks and the ability to green light improvements to recreational facilities.

A BC Supreme Court judge has tossed out a bid by a group of private land owners in Richmond to reopen the Cowichan case that asserts ownership rights over a swath of industrial land on the south arm of the Fraser River.. Justice Barbara Young says Richmond-based Montrose Properties tried to re-examine the Cowichan Tribes’ landmark Aboriginal title case which has already been settled. She calls it an abuse of process. Lawyers for the Cowichan say they’re pleased with the decision.

Canada has extended its World Cup run, beating South Africa 1-0 in Southern California. An estimated 25,000 Canadian fans watched the game at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood. In Vancouver, thousands packed watch parties and the Granville Entertainment District to celebrate Sunday afternoon. The win puts Canada in the final 16.