Image: William Snow / The Sailor Bar wildfire 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Fraser Canyon wildfire

Fraser Canyon wildfire more than doubles from Sunday morning

Aug 25, 2025 | 7:12 AM

FRASER CANYON — An out of control blaze in the Fraser Canyon near Yale has more than doubled in less than 24 hours, amid three evacuation alerts in the area surrounding the wildfire and an air quality alert across the Fraser Valley.

B.C. Wildfire Service’s online dashboard says the Sailor Bar wildfire has increased from an initial count of 2.1 hectares early Sunday morning when it was first discovered, to nine hectares Sunday morning, and later 50 hectares mid-morning Sunday.

Subsequent updates now reveal the wildfire has grown to 120 hectares.

“The fire is burning in steep, inoperable and difficult to access terrain,” BCWS wrote on its website. “Responder safety is the number one priority, and this area poses significant safety challenges.”

CN Rail has been contacted and its tracks are closed. No other infrastructure is immediately threatened.

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The fire is suspected of being human caused.

As of Monday morning at 7 a.m., B.C. Wildfire Service’s response consists of one initial attack crew and two type 2 contract crews, in addition to four helicopters responding to this wildfire.

Image: William Snow

Motorists on Highway 1 are asked to be mindful and not stop to observe the fire, since crews and aircraft are working in the area. Travellers are urged to proceed with caution and focus only on driving.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District issued an air quality alert stating a smog warning would last until at least Monday, August 25, or until the smoke conditions improve.

“Hot and sunny weather in combination with local emissions has resulted in elevated levels of ground-level ozone,” wrote the District. “Smoke from the Sailor Bar wildfire burning north of Yale in the Fraser Canyon has resulted in elevated levels of fine particulate matter in the Eastern Fraser Valley.”

Spuzzum First Nation has issued an evacuation alert for the following areas:

• 1 and 1A Spuzzum
• 9 Saddle Rock
• 2, 2B and 2A Papsilqua
• 6 Skuet

The FVRD has also issued an alert for the Yale area, north to Spuzzum Creek Road. These include Electoral Area B, properties on Spuzzum Creek Road, private properties on both the east and west sides of the Fraser River from Yale north to Spuzzum Creek Road, and crown lands in the mapped area.

An alert is issued to prepare residents to leave their premises if an evacuation order is made.