UPDATE 2:15 p.m.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has alerted residents of 70 Mile House and the surrounding area that as of 10 a.m. on Monday, July 27 they will be on evacuation order. The evacuation order is not expected to impact South Green Lake, which will remain on evacuation alert.
After 10 a.m. Monday, Emergency Support Services (ESS) will be available for residents affected by the evacuation order. ESS can provide temporary assistance, including accommodation, food, and other basic supports.
Please note that if residents choose to evacuate before the evacuation order is in place, they will not be eligible for ESS supports until the order officially comes into effect. The TNRD notes that based on current fire activity, there is no need to leave the area today.
As of Sunday afternoon (July 26), the BC Wildfire Service has combined the two fires nearest to Clinton — the Pear Lake wildfire and the Fiftynine Creek wildfire — into one, called the Pear Lake wildfire. The two fires merged overnight on July 25/26, and their combined size is estimated at 66,871 hectares.
ORIGINAL STORY
Four fires comprising the massive Big Bar complex near Clinton have now merged, or will do shortly, according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
The Pear Lake, Fiftynine Creek, and French Bar Creek wildfires in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), and the Bonanza Creek wildfire in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, make up the Big Bar complex, which as of Sunday morning (July 26) had an estimated combined area of 88,812 hectares.
The Fiftynine Creek fire has impacted Highway 97 at Chasm, north of Clinton, and is progressing north. BCWS says that the fire has jumped previously established containment lines and is burning close to the highway. There has also been fire growth along the west flank of the fire, fanned by winds from the Marble Range and visible from Jesmond Road.
The Pear Lake fire near Clinton will likely see further growth on Sunday. Fuels in the area have been heavily impacted by drought, and are highly susceptible to increased fire behaviour.
On Saturday the fire moved north on the west side of Highway 97 and exhibited Rank 4 and 5 fire behaviour, meaning a highly to extremely vigorous surface fire with active crown fire and moderate to long-range spotting. The fire column development created its own weather system, resulting in lightning over the area.
Where the fire has crossed Highway 97 east of Clinton it is burning into an old burn scar from the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire, which is helping to decrease fire activity and behaviour, as fuels there are sparse.
Along the southeast flank of the fire, where it is burning around the Village of Clinton, structure protection personnel and firefighting crews are focusing on structure defence and mop-up. Crews are working off Highway 97 on the southeast corner of town, where a machine guard has been established and crews are mopping up to extinguish the fire’s edge.
There is confirmed structure loss in and around the Village of Clinton, but the number of properties affected, and the nature of the loss, has yet to be assessed. On Saturday morning, Clinton CAO Brian Doddridge said that the Village had been “preserved from major loss.”
When it is safe to do so, a rapid assessment team will go in to the area to determine what properties have been impacted, and will contact owners directly.
There is no estimated date/time of reopening for Highway 97, which is closed between the junction with Highway 99 and 70 Mile House. Drivers should check DriveBC for the latest information, and plan to use alternative routes.
For information about the wildfire situation in the province, visit the BC Wildfire Service website.
For information about evacuation alerts and orders associated with the Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek wildfires, visit the TNRD’s Emergency Services dashboard and EmergencyInfoBC.