What you need to know about B.C. wildfires on Aug. 5

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The latest on the wildfires:

The Pear Lake wildfire is the largest burning in B.C. right now, at roughly 1,247 square kilometres. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says about 120 properties, not including the Village of Clinton, have suffered structural loss.
The chief of the Okanagan Indian Band estimates at least 200 homes have been destroyed by the Bradley Creek wildfire, west of Vernon. It’s grown to roughly 28.5 square kilometers.
The Regional District of Northern Okanagan expanded an evacuation order on Tuesday, due to the Bradley Creek and Quilpituk Creek wildfires, to include several dozen more properties.
Across B.C., about 8,000 people are under evacuation order and 7,100 are under evacuation alert.
Wildfire officials say conditions are “explosive and extremely dangerous,” with a forecast of hot temperatures and potential lightning ahead.

Hotter weather returns

The period of cooler, more humid weather that provided some relief for crews battling the Pear Lake wildfire has come to an end, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS).

It says hotter, drier conditions have returned and are expected to increase fire activity in the coming days.

In the southern Interior, temperatures are expected to hit the mid-30s this week, with the possibility of dry lightning.

A smoky, orange sunset over a lake. — Sunset in Kelowna, B.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 4, as wildfires burn nearby. (Jay Bertagnolli/CBC)

Last weekend, wildfire crews battled the Bradley Creek fire burning near Vernon amid 80 km/h winds, with gusts reaching 115 km/h at higher elevations.

“We are seeing fuel conditions that we have never seen before. We are seeing fire behaviour and fire growth that we have never experienced in B.C. up until this point,” said BCWS director of wildfire operations Cliff Chapman.

“It is an explosive and extremely dangerous situation.”

A helicopter flies above a hill fully engulfed in flames. — A helicopter conducting night operations prepares to drop water on the Quilpituk Creek wildfire on Monday, Aug. 3. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Damage count

Officials say hundreds of properties have been damaged or destroyed in multiple parts of the province.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says about 120 properties have experienced structure loss from the Pear Lake wildfire, excluding the Village of Clinton.

The hardest-hit places include Big Bar Lake, south of Clinton near Highway 97, an area west of Clinton around Kelly Lake Road and the Chasm area north of the village.

District spokesperson Clinton Davies said the number will likely increase as crews safely reach more affected areas.

A series of lakeside properties, many of them burned to the ground. — Properties on Okanagan Indian Band land that were destroyed by the Bradley Creek wildfire are seen on Tuesday, Aug. 4. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

West of Vernon, Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson estimates the Bradley Creek wildfire has destroyed at least 200 homes, though the figure is preliminary.

He said the fire has been “one of the most devastating events in our history,” and many people in the community have lost everything they own.

Evacuation orders

About 8,000 people across B.C. are under evacuation order, while another 7,100 are under evacuation alert and have been told to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Many of those impacted are being threatened by the Quilpituk Creek and Bradley Creek wildfires, both burning along Okanagan Lake.

The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre says 2,223 properties remain under evacuation order due to the Quilpituk Creek fire, while another 425 properties are under evacuation alert.

A white speedboat floats in a lake in front of properties that have burned down. — Numerous properties on Okanagan Indian Band land, seen here on Tuesday, Aug. 4, have been destroyed by wildfire. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

The Regional District of Northern Okanagan expanded an evacuation order on Tuesday, as a result of both fires, to include several dozen more properties.

Evacuation orders also cover the Okanagan Indian Band.

The Spallumcheen evacuation order and alert areas related to the Bradley Creek fire were shrunken on Tuesday.

Those in need of emergency support services are being directed to the Westbank Lions Community Centre in West Kelowna and Kal Tire Place in Vernon.

A map with areas highlighted in red and yellow. — A map showing the expanded evacuation order for the Bradley Creek and Quilpituk Creek wildfires as of Aug. 4. (Regional District of North Okanagan)

Evacuation orders remain in effect for the French Bar Creek fire in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, the Pear Lake fire near Clinton and the Brunswick fire complex near Boston Bar.

In the East Kootenay, an evacuation order was partially downgraded to an alert on Sunday after crews made progress on the Wait Creek wildfire.

Road closures

According to DriveSafeBC, several major routes remain closed because of wildfire activity.

Highway 1 is closed between Toll Road and Jackass Summit, north of Hells Gate, because of the Brunswick wildfire complex. Drivers are being directed to use highways 3 or 5.

Further north, just past Cache Creek, Highway 97 is closed between Loon Lake Road and 76 Mile Frontage Road. Traffic is being detoured using highways 5 and 8, through Merritt.

Westside Road along Okanagan Lake is closed between Shelter Cove and Highway 97 north, cutting off a key route. The road is open as far as Shelter Cove, with Highway 97 serving as the alternate route.

Toward the U.S. border, Silver Skagit Road is closed south of Flood Hope Road to the Canada-U.S. border because of the Hozomeen Mountain wildfire. Silver Lake remains open, but Ross Lake Campground and Skagit Valley Provincial Park are closed.