Highway 1 between Chase and Sorrento has reopened

A section of the Trans Canada Highway that was closed due to wildfires in B.C.'s Shuswap region has reopened as of Friday morning, according to the province.

Highway 1 between Chase and Sorrento was shut down Aug. 18 as the Bush Creek East wildfire straddled the highway. 

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says in a news release that it has been monitoring wildfire risk and activity along the corridor, and crews are continuing to clear side roads that were affected by the fire. 

More than 11,000 people remain on evacuation order because of the Bush Creek East fire, which now covers an estimated 410 square kilometres.

That wildfire fire is out of control and considered the province's top priority, according to B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Forrest Tower.

Earlier this week, protesters challenged police officers at the blockade at the Blind Bay Road intersection on Highway 1, claiming that politicians couldn't prevent them from using the road. 

Tower told CBC News the confrontation did not appear to have originated with locals who have chosen to defy evacuation orders.

Boston Bar to Lytton still closed

Meanwhile, the section of Highway 1 between Boston Bar and Lytton will remain closed through the weekend, the province says. 

The Kookipi Creek wildfire remains active and out of control. Trees and boulders have been falling along that stretch of highway as a result, the Ministry of Transportation says. Tree removal and rock scaling is underway, and crews are assessing side roads to prioritize cleanup. 

An update on that area is expected on Monday, Aug. 28.