Two wildfires threatening the village of Clinton, British Columbia, and surrounding areas merged on Saturday evening, according to the BC Wildfire Service, following an earlier blaze in the Pear Lake sector that destroyed buildings and homes on the community’s outskirts.
Wildfires Merge Near Clinton as Evacuation Orders Expand
The fires burning near Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek joined late Saturday and remained very active Sunday morning, pushing northward and northeast toward the Chasm region about 20 kilometers north of Clinton. That expected northern progression prompted the Thompson-Nicola Regional District to issue an evacuation alert Sunday for the community of 70 Mile House and nearby areas. According to the district’s Facebook page, an evacuation order was slated to take effect Monday at 10 a.m., urging residents to prepare to leave immediately while the southern portion of Green Lake remained under an evacuation alert.
Shae Stearns, an information officer with the wildfire service, stated that crews continued working inside Clinton to protect homes and tackle active municipal fires. “There is really no longer a fire front moving toward Clinton, we are seeing a slowing of fire activity instead,” Stearns said during a Sunday telephone interview, adding that substantial firefighting ground still needs to be covered. Updated mapping from the wildfire service on Sunday placed the combined footprint of the Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek fires at nearly 670 square kilometers, while a separate blaze at French Bar Creek spanned roughly 250 square kilometers within the Big Bar fire complex.
Property Losses and Drought Conditions Compound Firefight
While local officials confirmed Clinton was largely spared from the initial Friday blaze, property damage occurred on the periphery. Steve Larabie, the owner of a towing and body shop located three kilometers south of Clinton, recounted that he, his family, and his business lost everything, including two homes. Larabie initially stayed behind to monitor the property, where approximately 3,000 vehicles and 50 pieces of equipment were housed. He described active flames igniting excavators and vehicles while gasoline and diesel tanks exploded, forcing him to flee before the fires merged and tore through a section of Highway 97.
Did You Know? The combined footprint of the Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek fires reached nearly 670 square kilometers by Sunday, while the French Bar Creek fire spanned an estimated 250 square kilometers to the northwest.
Wildfire services noted that flames spreading east of the highway benefited from moving through terrain previously scorched by earlier fires, which helped moderate intensity. However, severe regional drought continues to fuel aggressive propagation. “The vegetation is still very dry, even with cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity,” Stearns explained. Although rain fell in metropolitan Vancouver on Sunday, no significant precipitation was forecast for the Clinton area, located roughly 350 kilometers to the northeast.
Even when temporary weather shifts bring cooler temperatures, the underlying dryness of the fuel bed means fires can retain aggressive propagation potential across large complexes.
Evacuations and Resource Deployments Across British Columbia
Emergency management officials across the province managed multiple active flare-ups through the weekend. To the east, the Central Okanagan Emergency Management issued an evacuation alert for more than 500 properties in the La Casa area north of West Kelowna due to a wildfire discovered Saturday, though the alert was lifted the following day. “Although the fire is still considered out of control, fire crews have made significant progress in reducing its activity and protecting the area,” the center noted in a Sunday statement after establishing a perimeter.
In the Fraser Canyon, the community of Boston Bar and surrounding areas remained under evacuation orders due to the Brunswick fire complex covering over 355 square kilometers. The wildfire service reported that the Brunswick and Ainslie Creek fires continued moving southward on either side of the canyon without expansive growth, though the Anderson Creek fire remained active where it converged with Ainslie Creek. Statewide figures on Sunday showed 31 evacuation orders and 28 evacuation alerts in effect, primarily across the central and southern portions of British Columbia.
While cooler weekend temperatures and localized rainfall offered temporary relief, provincial reports confirmed that broad swaths of British Columbia remain vulnerable amid ongoing drought conditions. To bolster local response efforts against approximately 140 active provincial blazes, additional protection crews from the Yukon, Alberta, and Mexico were scheduled to arrive in the province.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the recent expansion of evacuation orders near Clinton?
The expansion was triggered by the merging of the Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek wildfires late Saturday, which continued pushing northward toward Chasm and prompted the Thompson-Nicola Regional District to schedule an evacuation order for 70 Mile House.
How large are the combined Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek fires?
Updated mapping released Sunday by the wildfire service estimated the combined area of the Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek fires at nearly 670 square kilometers.
Are additional firefighting resources heading to British Columbia?
Yes, protection service crews from the Yukon, Alberta, and Mexico are expected to arrive in the province to support operations against roughly 140 active fires.
How are emergency services balancing resource distribution between the Clinton fires and other active complexes in the Fraser Canyon and Okanagan? ड्रॉप
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