A heads up if you’re planning to travel on Highway 97C from Logan Lake towards Ashcroft – the highway could be closed again at a moment’s notice because of the Tremont Creek wildfire.

BC Wildfire Service Information Officer, Forrest Tower, says its because of significant fire behaviour on the southern flank of the fire due to the high winds and high temperatures.

“It is one of the higher priorities on that fire. It isn’t crossing the highway in any significant manner, but its just the wildfire activity that’s right in that area and then the imminent threat of there could be spot fires,” he told NL News.

“It is just out of an abundance of safety that the ministry of transportation and RCMP and us are just coordinating on making sure that that highway is safe for travel.”

Highway 97C was closed from Mesa Vista Dr. to the Highland Valley Copper Mine from 2:50 a.m. until about 6 a.m. this morning, though as of publishing, it was open to traffic in both directions. Drivers are being cautioned because of limited visibility due to smoke in the area.

“Crews are hoping to secure the rest of the containment lines that are on that southwest flank today hopefully, and that should limit the impact to the highway going into the rest of the week and the weekend,” Tower added. “And then in the entire rest of the south flank, its just crews and heavy equipment working to get ahead of the fire, where possible and where its safe to do so.”

“On the north of the fire, there is very little fire behaviour. Obviously, there are still patrols and crews monitoring the situation but a lot of our activity at this point is focused on that southwest and entire southern flank of the Tremont Creek fire.”

Yesterday, the TNRD downgraded an evacuation order for Wahlachin-area properties to an evacuation alert, while an alert for people in the Thompson River Estates and Semlin Valley was lifted.

Tower is asking people to check Drive BC for the latest information on the status of Highway 97C.

The Tremont Creek Fire has been burning for two weeks after it broke out on July 12. A cause of the fire is not yet known.

For the latest on Evacuation Orders and Alerts in the TNRD, go here.