Cathedral Park in B.C. Interior on evacuation alert due to wildfire
Park was seriously damaged in 2023 Crater Creek wildfire, had partially reopened 2 weeks ago
UPDATE — July 12, 2025: B.C. Wildfire Service says the Lower Young Creek wildfire is now classified as being held, meaning it is not expected to spread beyond its current boundaries under current conditions. An evacuation alert remains in place for the surrounding area.
Cathedral Provincial Park, southwest of Keremeos, B.C., is under an evacuation alert due to an out-of-control wildfire that sparked Friday.
The Lower Young Creek wildfire was 50 hectares as of 11:40 a.m. PT on Saturday, and burning in the Ashnola Valley, approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Keremeos and 200 kilometres east of Vancouver.
It is suspected to have been caused by human activity, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service, and anyone in Cathedral Park has been told to be ready to leave on short notice if an evacuation order is issued.
The park is no stranger to wildfires, having only just reopened about two weeks ago, after a wildfire in 2023 caused major damage to roads and campgrounds. A significant portion of the park is still closed as a result of the damage from the fire.
Cassidy Martin, a B.C. Wildfire Service information officer, said that officials received many reports of the fire on Friday through the agency's mobile app.
"If people see smoke, they're always encouraged to report ... but there's nothing, no structures or anything, is threatened at this time," Martin told CBC News on Saturday morning.
As the province enters one of its hottest stretches of the summer so far, Martin said that residents may see more smoke in the middle portion of the day when temperatures are highest.
Martin said that although it's hot, the humidity is high, which has decreased the fire's intensity.
Just over 30 firefighters were assigned to the blaze on Saturday, along with helicopters, and some personnel were tasked with cutting down unstable trees in the area to keep crews safe.
Martin advised people in the backcountry to be aware of wildfire risks and to keep water and tools on hand if they build a campfire.
"Right now we don't have a campfire prohibition with the Kamloops Fire Centre, but we just encourage people to remain incredibly vigilant, and make sure they're putting into place all the safety measures that they can," she said.
In a statement, the Lower Similkameen Indian Band said an off-duty firefighter first observed a smoke column from the fire just after 3 p.m. on Friday.
It said that two members of the band were able to confirm nearby campsites weren't occupied and were able to move a local rancher's cattle away from the blaze.
"Both LSIB and the Upper Similkameen Indian Band (USIB) are currently reviewing records regarding the location of sməlqmíx-syilx archaeological sites within the fire perimeter and surrounding area," the statement read.
Park still rebuilding
The 2023 Crater Creek wildfire, which started near the B.C.-U.S. border in the middle of August, led to an evacuation order for properties within Cathedral Provincial Park, including the privately-run Cathedral Lakes Lodge near Quiniscoe Lake.
That lodge remains closed to this day, as B.C. Parks works to rebuild roads and trails that were wiped out in the blaze two years ago.
"The Ashnola River vehicle bridge, which provides access to Lakeview Road, Cathedral Lakes Lodge, and the core area of the park, was destroyed and is under reconstruction," B.C. Parks says on its website.
"Work on the bridge is scheduled to be completed by fall 2025."
In addition to roads and trails, which B.C. Parks says will be repaired when equipment is able to access it this summer, the Lake of the Woods and Pyramid campgrounds were also destroyed in the 2023 blaze.
B.C. Parks reopened the park in a limited fashion on June 20, with campsites open in a few areas.
CBC News reached out to B.C. Parks to ask if anyone is staying at the park this weekend, and whether the wildfire will impact the reconstruction timeline. The agency declined an interview, but said it would provide an update when possible.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With a file from Shaurya Kshatri