Evacuation orders have been extended in connection with British Columbia’s largest wildfire. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District broadened an evacuation order on Saturday to encompass areas near Highway 99 in the Marble Canyon region, south of the Pear Lake wildfire. At the same time, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District expanded an evacuation order along Highway 99 to the west of the Highway 97 junction. These expansions now affect nearly 200 properties across both districts. Additionally, the Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation has issued evacuation orders for several reserves.
Evacuation alerts have also been expanded by all three governing bodies. The Pear Lake wildfire, as reported by the B.C. Wildfire Service, has scorched over 1,647 square kilometers and has damaged structures on more than 120 properties, mainly around Clinton. The fire’s most active areas currently are on its western and southern perimeters.
Furthermore, Environment Canada has issued a yellow severe thunderstorm watch for a significant portion of the B.C. Interior, Cariboo, and Metro Vancouver, with severe thunderstorm warnings in effect for parts of Vancouver Island. The B.C. Wildfire Service has warned of potential dry lightning strikes and strong winds in the southern and central Interior, with gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour accompanying some thunderstorms, which could escalate fire behavior and prompt new wildfire outbreaks.
A fresh lightning-induced wildfire was reported south of Kamloops in the Jacko Lake vicinity on Saturday. By evening, the fire had expanded to 44 hectares and was under control, not expected to spread beyond its current boundaries. The B.C. Wildfire Service has mobilized 19 personnel and air crews to manage the situation, making notable progress on containment efforts. Additionally, a Kamloops Fire Rescue team will continue working on-site through the night.
As of Saturday evening, British Columbia was dealing with over 150 active wildfires, with close to 60 of them categorized as uncontrolled. The provincial government extended a state of emergency linked to wildfires until at least Aug. 29.
