‘Everything is gone’ in images showing wildfire damage outside Clinton, B.C.

Webster said his family was safe in Cache Creek, B.C., about 40 kilometers south of Clinton, waiting to hear when it’s safe to return home and see if anything can be salvaged before starting the daunting task of rebuilding.

Clinton’s mayor, Roland Stanke, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that the village was still waiting for a structural assessment. He has said people whose properties were damaged in the fire would be contacted directly.

It was too early to lift the evacuation order, he added.

A post on the village’s Facebook page said the wildfire remained active and still posed a threat. Crews were responding to flare ups and potential hot spots as the fire burns in the hills surrounding the community, about 350 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

The complex of fires in the area has continued to grow, prompting expanded evacuation orders and alerts over the last few days.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service has meanwhile urged anyone planning a camping trip to review the latest fire restrictions.

A social media post from the service on Monday said its officers discovered numerous illegal campfires during spot checks over the weekend, issuing 19 violation tickets and almost $22,000 in fines.

“Claiming you didn’t know about the campfire ban is not an acceptable excuse,” the service said.

Campfire bans are in place in the Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast fire centres, and parts of coastal B.C., while bans on larger fires cover almost all other areas.

Premier David Eby said Tuesday that he understood some Clinton residents may be hearing they had lost homes or businesses as the Pear Lake fire surged on Friday.

“I just want to say I know all British Columbians are thinking of those folks right now and knowing, with the wildfire seasons we’ve had, that this threat is present in every corner of the province,” he told an unrelated news conference.

“Our hearts go out to the people who are hearing that horrible news,” he said, adding that the community is strong and the province would stand by residents during the rebuilding process.

Eby also praised the work of firefighters to save much of the village itself.

The Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek fires merged over the weekend to span nearly 670 square kilometres in the latest estimate from the BC Wildfire Service.

The blaze is among about 135 active fires across B.C., with about 50 burning out of control.

Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said the province welcomed 25 firefighting personnel from the Yukon on Monday to help fight the blazes.

Jean Strong with BC Wildfire Service said another 66 personnel from Alberta were set to arrive Tuesday, and about 200 from Mexico would arrive next week.

Strong said in a video posted Tuesday that around 20 of the out-of-control blazes were smaller than 10 hectares, while 30 were larger.

Cooler temperatures had helped quell fire activity in recent days, but hot, dry, windy weather was expected to return heading into the August long weekend, she said.

The wildfire service said in an update Tuesday that winds were expected to strengthen in the Clinton area with gusts at speeds of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour.

Temperatures were expected to be from 17 to 21 C with relative humidity between 30 and 40 per cent.

“With this weather outlook extreme fire behaviour is expected (Tuesday) and significant growth on these incidents is possible,” the service said.

Evacuation orders span both sides of Highway 97 from south of Clinton to north of 70 Mile House, with lower-level alerts covering surrounding areas in the south Cariboo.

Stanke, the mayor of Clinton, said in his post that people who have defied the evacuation order in the village would have to boil their water, since a reservoir bypass has allowed untreated water to be used to fight the flames.

He said BC Hydro crews were also assessing damage before power could be restored in the village, which has about 650 residents.

In the Fraser Canyon, the community of Boston Bar and surrounding areas remained subject to evacuation orders prompted by the Brunswick complex of fires, which span more than 300 square kilometres.

An update from the wildfire service on Monday said the Anderson Creek blaze had merged with the larger Ainslie Creek fire.

It said cooler temperatures and higher humidity had moderated fire behavior over the last few days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2026.

— By Nono Shen and Brenna Owen in Vancouver

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

‘Everything is gone’ in images showing wildfire damage outside Clinton, B.C.

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