are your lights flickering? b.c. hydro says ash from wildfires affecting power
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b.c. hydro says some customers may experience temporary power outages or a flickering of lights because of some of the province’s out-of-control wildfires.
on saturday, firefighters were battling 124 wildfires in the province, including seven wildfires of note that have forced the evacuation of more than 1,200 properties. another 6,400 properties are on alert.
kevin aquino, a spokesperson for b.c. hydro, said staff have received reports of flickering lights. he did not say which areas were most affected but a notice at the cineplex movie theatre in langley alerted customers to anticipate flickering lights or temporary power disruption.
“this is a result of smoke and ash from wildfires in proximity to our major transmission power lines resulting in short and temporary interruptions in the flow of electricity on these lines,” he said.
“our system is performing as expected during these challenging conditions due to the expertise of our transmission system operators who are maintaining the reliability and integrity of the provincial electricity system as conditions continue to evolve.”
a cineplex in langley, b.c. posts a notice about possible electrical disruptions due to wildfires on saturday, july 25, 2026.
harold munro
the kelly lake substation near clinton — where several wildfires have forced evacuation orders, including the entire village of clinton — is a major transmission hub that sends power to metro vancouver.
“we have an integrated electricity system and kelly lake is one of the multiple substations that delivers electricity to the south coast,” said aquino.
the b.c. wildfire service says wildfires are challenging across southern b.c. as warm, dry conditions continue to hamper firefighting efforts.
“yesterday saw continued growth on new and existing wildfires, especially influenced by high winds. evacuation alerts and orders expanded as conditions evolved,” the service said in an update saturday.
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