Hope Fire Department

As reported on social media, Hope Fire attended a call this morning for what was initially described as a small rubbish fire. Upon arrival, crews discovered a fully involved refuse pile at the Valley Waste Transfer Station on Ross Road.

Hope Fire responded with 5 firefighters and 3 apparatus, along with mutual aid support from Yale Fire, who arrived with 6 members and 2 apparatus — a huge help during what has already been an incredibly busy week for us, with 8 fires in the past 7 days.

Crews worked through the pile (angry rats included 🐀) to fully extinguish the fire. Thank you to the owners of Valley Waste for their cooperation, and a special shout‑out to one of our firefighters whose wife delivered excavator keys at 3 AM so he could operate it and speed up suppression efforts. Two water tenders shuttled over 8,000 gallons of water to support the operation.

The cause remains under investigation, but it is quite likely a lithium‑ion battery was involved. 🔋

*Please remember:* household electronics and anything containing batteries should never go in regular trash. Dispose of them at a proper hazardous waste or e‑waste facility — it could prevent the next fire.

Huge thanks to Yale Fire and all our emergency response partners.

District of Hope

🚒 Crews responded to two fires overnight.

At 3:40 a.m., seven firefighters and three apparatus extinguished a sedan fire on Othello Road, preventing it from spreading into nearby brush.

At 5:54 a.m., eight firefighters and four apparatus knocked down a 10m × 10m fire at an encampment near Hwy 1 / Exit 170, stopping it from moving further into the forest.

Both fires remain under investigation. No injuries reported.

Hope is fortunate to have a team of dedicated volunteers who consistently show up to protect our community.

District of Hope

A fun morning at Nature Nest Childcare as we stopped by to show the kids some of our tools and one of our fire trucks.

Deputy Chief Westcott and Firefighter Prest were on hand giving the kids a close‑up look at the truck, equipment, and what firefighters do.

Thanks to Nature Nest for the invite — always great to connect with our youngest community members.

🚒 At approximately 3:30 this afternoon, Hope Fire responded to a wildfire on Union Bar First Nation lands on the northwest side of Thacker Mountain.

Crews arrived to find an out‑of‑control wildfire roughly 90 metres in diameter and growing rapidly. Unified Command was established with BC Wildfire Service Air Operations, and firefighters mounted an aggressive initial attack. 🚁

These actions successfully contained the fire. A BC Wildfire Service Initial Attack crew quickly joined the operation, and Hope Fire personnel worked alongside BCWS to mop up and secure the area.

A total of 10 Hope firefighters responded on four apparatus. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by BC Wildfire Service.

We extend our thanks to the BC Wildfire Service crews and air operations team for their rapid response and coordinated efforts.

With current conditions, please remain vigilant. Even a small fire can grow quickly.

District of Hope

🔥At approximately 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, Hope Fire Department responded to a large, out‑of‑control wildfire above Exit 170 on Flood Hope Road.
Twelve members responded on three apparatus, and thanks to the quick, coordinated work of our crews, the fire was rapidly knocked down and contained to an area of roughly 50 × 50 feet. No injuries have been reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

While crews were actively engaged at the wildfire, Hope Fire also received a second call for alarms ringing. Two additional apparatus and three members responded to that incident, ensuring the community continued to receive full emergency coverage while resources were committed to the wildfire.

A big thank‑you to our members for their rapid response and professional work today.

District of Hope

🚒Milestones at the firehall on training night.

Deputy Chief Josh Westcott recognized key steps in our recruits’ journey — Kevin, Sal, and Eddie earning their yellow helmets, and Kayla and Joel receiving their pagers as part of this year’s class.

🔥Firefighting is built on steps, and these are big ones.

Congratulations to all.

District of Hope

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿: 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗖 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆

If you live in Yale, Dogwood or Hope, provincial staff will be on hand this Sunday, August 16, to help you set up the BC Services Card app on your phone.

📍 Yale and District Community Centre, 65050 Albert Street, Yale
🕙 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

📍 Hope Recreation Centre, 1005 6th Avenue, Hope
🕒 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Why it matters: setting up the app now lets you pre-register your Emergency Support Services (ESS) profile before you need it. That means faster identity checks, fewer delays if you have to evacuate and direct e-transfers for emergency funds like food and lodging.

Drop by during the hours above. No appointment needed.

On Wednesday at 3:59 PM, two apparatus and five Hope firefighters responded to a vehicle fire near Hwy 1 on American Creek FSR.

Then at 4:13 PM, eight Hope firefighters and nine Yale firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire in the 63000 block of Flood Hope Road. The fire originated in a shed and extended quickly to the adjacent home.

The cause remains under investigation.
No injuries were reported.

Hope Fire Department extends thanks to the RCMP for identifying and reporting the structure fire while on patrol.
District of Hope

🚒 Last night, Hope Fire responded out of area to a vacant RV fully involved in the 22000 block of Highway 5. Seven members and three apparatus attended, quickly knocking down the fire and preventing extension into the surrounding wildland.

The RV was reported as vacant and used for storage. There were no injuries and the cause remains undetermined.

It’s been an exceptionally busy stretch for our team. We are now at 499 calls year‑to‑date, including 106 calls in the last month and 74 since the campfire ban came into effect.

Thank you to our members for their continued dedication and to the community for staying alert and reporting hazards quickly to 911.

District of Hope