‘Significant growth’ possible on wildfire threatening Clinton, B.C.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says a fire that has forced hundreds of people from their homes in and around Clinton, B.C., could see “significant growth” Tuesday.

“Extreme fire behaviour is expected today,” BCWS said in a response update.

It said the Pear Lake wildfire was active throughout the night with a “highly vigorous surface fire,” and that dry thunderstorms were in the forecast.

The fire, which merged with the Fiftynine Creek wildfire over the weekend, was burning over an area of 668.7 square kilometres (66,871.2 hectares) as of Tuesday morning.

Numerous evacuation orders and alerts remain in place.

Clinton Mayor Roland Stanke, speaking in Kamloops, said there is an assessment team in town to evaluate structure damage, and the volunteer fire department is checking for hot embers and spot fires to try to get them under control.

He said there has been some structural damage south of the village, but his latest report indicated there had been no buildings or businesses destroyed, though there was some damage to a few buildings due to hot embers and flare-ups.

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Roland Stanke, mayor of Clinton, B.C., has lived in the community for decades. He says while the town has faced wildfires before, the season is getting more ‘intense’ every year.

He added that a full assessment of structural damage still needs to be completed.

Stanke described the fire as the village’s “third rodeo” after an evacuation alert in 2009 and an order in 2017.

“It’s getting worse every year, and it’s a challenge,” he said.

Brunswick Creek complex

Further south, the Brunswick Creek complex continues to burn near Boston Bar. It covered an area of almost 180 sq. km. (17,999.2 ha) as of Monday evening.

The BCWS said the fires burning on either side of the Fraser River (Brunswick Creek on the west and Ainslie Creek on the east) are active, but aren’t growing at a significant rate due to the wind direction.

Because they’re burning on steep slopes, the BCWS said it hasn’t been safe for ground crews to access the fires’ edge.

Drone crews were expected to scan Boston Bar and Boston Bar First Nation Monday night to identify hot spots.

“If hotspots are not fully extinguished, they can reignite when hotter and drier conditions return,” the BCWS said.

Evacuation orders and alerts are in place for nearby communities.

There were about 140 active wildfires burning throughout B.C. as of Tuesday morning. Of those, 37 per cent were burning out of control.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, about 1,600 properties in B.C. were under an evacuation order early Tuesday, and 3,100 properties were under an alert.