- Nearly 34,000 lightning strikes over the past week triggered new fires and evacuations in southern British Columbia, with 25 evacuation orders and 90 active wildfires as of Friday morning, and officials warned warming and drying conditions could worsen the fires.
- The B.C. Wildfire Service prioritized protecting the community, with crews "actively defending structures" around Boston Bar, the Boston Bar First Nation and Canyon Alpine.
- The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) reported that some residents refused to evacuate, stating they are violating the law and putting themselves at risk.
- Evacuee Kyle Wood described the rapid growth of the Anderson Creek fire, saying "half the mountain was on fire" and they had to flee.
- There are 95 active wildfires across British Columbia, nearly half out of control, and the Fiftynine Creek fire northwest of Clinton grew to over 167 square kilometres triggering evacuation orders.
- The entire city of Kimberley remains under an evacuation alert due to the Bootleg complex of wildfires.
- The weather forecast is "far from favourable" with "no rain in sight" and above-seasonal temperatures expected.
- Burned area reached 2.95m hectares, above the 10-year average of 2.55m hectares, and Canada currently has more active wildfires than at the same time in the past two years.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney called it one of the most intense wildfire seasons on record and announced mobilization of more than 5,300 firefighters and 300 water bombers and aircraft, with Mexico sending 200 firefighters.
- Smoke from the wildfires drifted across large US east coast and midwestern cities last week.
Spreading wildfires in British Columbia have led to significant power disruptions and evacuation orders as the Fiftynine Creek fire expands to over 167 square kilometers. BC Hydro reports that households across the province are experiencing flickering lights and power interruptions due to wildfire activity near Clinton, where crews are unable to access sites for repairs.910
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has expanded evacuation orders south of Clinton due to the Pear Lake fire, part of the Big Bar Complex. In the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, new evacuation orders have been issued for recreational properties in the Lillooet Lake area. The entire city of Kimberley remains under an evacuation alert, affecting approximately 5,400 properties.11
Incident commander Hugh Murdoch noted that while fire behavior has been mostly contained, the weather forecast is concerning, with no rain expected and temperatures above seasonal norms. The wildfire service reports about 90 active blazes across the province, with nearly half out of control. Authorities are urging compliance with evacuation orders, as reluctance to leave poses risks to residents.
The situation is exacerbated by nearly 34,000 lightning strikes over the past week, leading to a series of fires and evacuation orders in southern B.C. As of Friday morning, there were 25 evacuation orders in place, with conditions expected to worsen due to ongoing warming and drying trends.123
“Two out-of-control wildfires near Boston Bar merged into the Brunswick complex covering over 230 square kilometres, and some residents refused evacuation orders despite being at risk. Prime Minister Mark Carney called it one of the most intense wildfire seasons on record, mobilizing more than 5,300 firefighters and 300 aircraft.”
The Guardian
