UPDATE — September 4, 2025: Highway 20 was reopened on Thursday morning; however, DriveBC cautioned that ongoing wildfire activity in the area could lead to sudden closures.
Wildfires caused the closure of two vital highways in British Columbia on Wednesday.
The Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5), which links Hope to Merritt and connects the Lower Mainland to the Interior, was shut down late Wednesday due to the nearby Mine Creek wildfire.
Additionally, Highway 20, located east of Bella Coola in the Central Coast region and west of Anahim Lake in the Cariboo area, was also shut down because of a separate wildfire. DriveBC did not provide an immediate detour, with the next update scheduled for Thursday morning.
The wildfires in British Columbia have resulted in poor air quality across the province, with persistent smoky conditions expected for several days, impacting various transportation routes.
⛔️<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCHwy5?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BCHwy5</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Coquihalla?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Coquihalla</a> Highway remains closed in both directions between <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/HopeBC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#HopeBC</a> & <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Merritt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Merritt</a> due to wildfire activity. No estimated time of reopening. Alternate route via <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCHwy1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BCHwy1</a> or <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCHwy3?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BCHwy3</a>. <br><br>Commercial vehicles are not to use <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCHwy8?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BCHwy8</a>. <a href=”https://t.co/69XekFcmbr”>https://t.co/69XekFcmbr</a> <a href=”https://t.co/Fx8l7Q9Cth”>pic.twitter.com/Fx8l7Q9Cth</a>
—@DriveBC
DriveBC initially announced the closure of the Coquihalla Highway just before 4 p.m. PT on Wednesday, with the section closed in both directions from Merritt to Hope.
Travelers along this route were advised to anticipate delays and were instructed to use Highway 1 or Highway 3 as alternative routes.