Lightning strike plunges entirety of northwest B.C. into dark, thousands without power
The B.C. Hydro dashboard shows it is impacting the entire region from Vanderhoof, about 100 kilometres west of Prince George, all the way to Prince Rupert, more than 500 kilometres away as the crow flies.
Haida Gwaii and parts of the far northwest around Stewart are also impacted.
In an update posted online, the power provider says a lightning strike is to blame, with crews working to "restore service as quickly as possible."
B.C. Hydro spokesperson Mike Kellett said resotration work would have to be done in stages, staring in Vanderhoof and working westward.
He said it was expected power would be back "in a few hours."
Kellett said due to the wide scale of the outage, it is likely the sole transmission line supplying power from Prince George to Prince Rupert had been impacted.
Northwest B.C. does not have backup transmission lines, which makes the region susceptible to large-scale outages.
In 2024, B.C. Premier David Eby announced plans to build new transmission lines between Prince George and Terrace in order to provide more reliable power to industrial customers in the region.
There are no current reports of outages from phone or internet providers, though the region has also experienced loss of communications in the past, such as a 2022 incident in which a beaver downed a tree onto some lines, knocking out cellphones and internet for several hours.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
15 hours ago
- CBC
District of North Vancouver doubles down on cliff jumping dangers with new signs
The District of North Vancouver has put up new signs in Lynn Canyon Park to discourage dangerous cliff jumping. As Kier Junos reports, visitors are cautioned that water levels and conditions can change rapidly, and the canyon cliffs can be steep, slippery and, in some cases, unstable.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
B.C. wildfires tempered by wet weather but dry conditions on the way, wildfire service says
Social Sharing The B.C. Wildfire Service says it has made great progress tackling fires in the province this summer, with fire crews helped in part by cooler, wetter weather. But conditions are expected to start drying up, and wildfire activity will be more apparent in the southern parts of B.C. "We saw some new starts in the coastal fire centre over the weekend as well as other southern parts of the province, and that trend is likely to continue over the coming weeks," said Jean Strong, information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service. Strong said up until now, most fires were in the northeastern corners of the province. "We tend to see the activity in the northern half of the province before those fuels green up; they're still dry and they're more likely to ignite," she said. "And as the warmer, drier conditions come in the south of the province, those fuels become more receptive to ignition, and we'll start to see the fire activity trend toward the southern half of the province." As of Monday afternoon, 71 wildfires were burning in B.C. While the wildfire service's efforts have been buoyed by good weather and slower fire starts, the amount of land burned in the last two years has been well above the 20-year average. One of the province's worst years for wildfires was in 2023 — with almost 2.9 million hectares burned. This year, at least 718,988 hectares have been burned so far. Strong said that is a lot of scorched land, most of it in the northeast. "When you look at the southern half of the province, the hectares burned are far below average. And when you compare it to one of the more significant seasons in recent memory, 2023 — by this point in 2023, we had 2.2 million hectares burned so far, so, good perspective there." Strong said this is the time for the public to make sure they're prepared. "It's really important that people be aware that even though we've been fairly lucky so far this year. We haven't had those smoky days in lots of the province, haven't had a lot of those impactful wildfires in lots of the province — it's something that's still on their radar, it's something that's still possible," said Strong. Most of the fires this year have been human-caused. Strong said some areas in the province started their campfire bans on Friday, and if dry periods go on for longer, she expects more prohibitions will start across the province. She said there are plenty of resources online to help families get ready. "... Taking a look at the Firesmart resources to really make your home and your family safer, looking at those preparedness resources to make sure you have everything you need in place before a potential emergency — this is really the time to be doing that, when we're lucky enough to have the cooler weather that's giving us the reduced fire activity so far."
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Heat warning up for B.C.'s north coast, persisting until Tuesday
An Environment Canada map shows a heat warning in place for B.C.'s north coast. VICTORIA — Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for the inland regions of British Columbia's north coast, saying there is a moderate risk to public health. It says daytime temperatures are expected to be near 30 degrees Celsius with overnight lows in the mid-teens. The weather office says the elevated temperatures are expected to persist until Tuesday night, returning to seasonal values on Wednesday. It says health risks are higher for seniors, people who live alone and those with pre-existing conditions including diabetes, heart disease and respiratory diseases. Environment Canada is encouraging family and friends to check on those who are at higher risk, noting people with mental illness, substance-use disorders and those with limited mobility may also be more vulnerable. It suggests people watch for the impacts of heat illness, including heavy sweating, rashes, cramps or fainting, and that they take steps to keep their house cool. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
