Northbound lanes of the Coquihalla Highway remain closed at this hour between Hope and Merritt after a fire in a semi trailer last night had sparked a wildfire along the side of the road near the exit for Coldwater Road.
The BC Wildfire service says the wildfire it caused has since been brought under control after burning about .2 hectares of forest adjacent to the Coquihalla.
Clean up and recovery operations are now underway at the site of the semi fire. Authorities say toxic material has been spilled, which will require some time to clean up.
While there are no estimates at this time for when it may reopen fully, alternate routes through the area are available Highway 1 or by using Highways 3 and 5a.
According to RCMP officers who attended the scene, the trailer of a northbound semi had become fully engulfed in flames just after 9:00pm near the exit for Coldwater Road. The fire quickly spread to the surrounding forest. What caused the fire in the trailer has not yet been determined, but there have been no injuries reported.
Updates on the situation will be available on Drive BC.
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