The Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt remains closed Tuesday after a semi truck caught fire and ignited a small wildfire Monday night.
The BC RCMP says officers responded to reports of the truck’s trailer on fire in the northbound shoulder lane near the Coldwater Road exit around 9 p.m.
Mounties say the surrounding forest then caught fire.
“BC Wildfire Service was notified and attended to suppress the fire,” said an RCMP statement Tuesday.
The BC Wildfire Service lists the fire as ‘under control,’ having burned less than half a hectare. The service says it’s not expected to spread any more.
The BC RCMP says it closed the highway in both directions overnight, but the Ministry of Transportation says only the northbound lanes remain closed to traffic Tuesday afternoon.
Environmental cleanup is underway, DriveBC says, after the vehicle also spilled “toxic material.”
The ministry says it will provide another update about the closure around 2:15 p.m.
⛔️REMINDER #BCHwy5 – Northbound from Hope to Merritt remains closed. Crews remain in the process of cleanup due to toxic materials on the roadway south of Comstock Rd. #MerrittBC #HopeBC #CoquihallaHwy #Coquihalla ℹ️https://t.co/MVza108GVm
Drivers can detour to Highway 1, Highway 3, or Highway 5A to avoid the closure.
1130 NewsRadio has reached out to the BC RCMP for more information.
—With files from Alex Carrigan