7:00 p.m. live briefing: Vancouver sunny, Pemberton alert holds, U.S. pressure on Canada rises (2026)

Metro Vancouver

At the 7:00 p.m. PDT cutoff, Environment Canada’s observation at Vancouver International Airport was mainly sunny, with a temperature of 19.9°C, south-southwest winds at 15 km/h and visibility of 32 km. The forecast issued at 4:00 p.m. calls for partly cloudy conditions, becoming cloudy near midnight with a 30% chance of drizzle overnight and a low of 15°C. 1

The City of Vancouver’s July 17 public-safety notice says smoking and vaping are prohibited in parks and on beaches year-round, as are open fires. It also says barbecues must be 75 cm off the ground, and asks people to call 9-1-1 if they see or smell smoke. The Park Board said it has increased patrols and keeps fire-suppression equipment ready for staff working in Stanley Park. 2

Wider B.C.

The latest posted update from the Village of Pemberton was updated at 1:00 p.m. Friday. It said crews were working on the north flank of the Signal Hill wildfire and securing the perimeter from Pemberton Creek toward the fire’s southwest corner. Spot fires east of Pemberton Creek were reported fully contained, while patrols continued around the perimeter. Highway 99 was open.

The evacuation measures in that update were unchanged: an Evacuation Alert remained in effect for parts of Pemberton, and an Evacuation Order remained in effect for One Mile Lake Park. This fire is outside Metro Vancouver. 3

Canada-U.S. wildfire pressure

A new political escalation emerged in Washington. The Guardian reported at 3:32 p.m. PDT that U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Canada for wildfire smoke over the United States and said he planned to call Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno said he would introduce a bill next week to sanction Canada and Canadian officials he considers responsible for the smoke.

The cited report also says four Republican House members from Michigan wrote to Carney threatening U.S. action, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Washington to send help instead. The report describes threats and proposed action; it does not report that sanctions have been enacted. 4

International

Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered a 30-day suspension of visits to former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest, Reuters reported at 5:53 p.m. PDT. The order allows medical care and lawyer visits, and says a social-media post by Bolsonaro’s son, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, violated the conditions of the house arrest.

The ruling also bars visits for political-electoral purposes until the end of the elections and bars political-electoral remarks released through third parties. 5

Watch next

Pemberton: any change to the alert for parts of the village, the One Mile Lake order or Highway 99 status. 3
Canada-U.S. relations: whether the proposed U.S. sanctions bill is formally introduced and how Ottawa responds. 4
The Iran conflict: new statements from U.S. Central Command, Iranian authorities and Gulf states on infrastructure and shipping after Friday’s reported strikes. 6