Wildfires near Clinton, B.C. merge, stretching nearly 670 square kilometers

Wildfires threatening the British Columbia village of Clinton merged late Saturday, creating an active blaze that stretched nearly 670 square kilometers. The Pear Lake and Fifty-Nine Creek fires combined and continued to burn north and northeast of the Chasm area, about 20 kilometers north of Clinton.

Fire information officer Shae Stearns said crews worked to protect structures and fight active fire within Clinton, which had been evacuated Friday as the Pear Lake fire surged. "There’s no longer like the head of a fire progressing toward Clinton, (it’s) more like decreased fire behaviour," she said Sunday. However, she noted "quite a lot of ground firefighting-wise to cover."

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There’s no longer like the head of a fire progressing toward Clinton, (it’s) more like decreased fire behaviour.

The wildfire service updated its mapping Sunday, showing the combined fires' estimated size. The roughly 250-square-kilometer French Bar Creek fire also continued to burn to the northwest, forming the Big Bar complex. A local official confirmed the Pear Lake blaze inflicted structural losses Friday, though the village itself was mostly spared.

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But there was still “quite a lot of ground firefighting-wise to cover,” she said.

Residents of 70 Mile and surrounding areas were advised Sunday to prepare for an evacuation order set to take effect Monday morning due to the Pear Lake wildfire. Meanwhile, the owner of a towing and autobody business three kilometers south of Clinton confirmed he and his family lost everything, including their two homes, vehicles, and equipment, as flames roared in on Saturday.

Stearns said the two merged fires crossed a stretch of Highway 97, which will require repairs. While flames on the east side of the highway moved into an already burned area, moderating activity, the region's drought conditions continue to fuel aggressive fire behavior. "The fuels are still very dry, even when we have those cooler temperatures and a higher relative humidity," Stearns said, adding that significant rain was not expected in the Clinton area.

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The fuels are still very dry, even when we have those cooler temperatures and a higher relative humidity.