Officials have broadened evacuation directives concerning British Columbia’s biggest wildfire. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District extended an evacuation order on Saturday for a region south of the Pear Lake wildfire to encompass properties near Highway 99 in the Marble Canyon area. Similarly, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District also expanded an evacuation order along Highway 99, west of the Highway 97 junction. Altogether, the extended orders from both regional districts now impact nearly 200 properties.
Additionally, the Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation has issued evacuation orders for several of its reserves.
All three governing bodies have also enlarged evacuation alerts. The Pear Lake wildfire has ravaged over 1,647 square kilometers and has destroyed structures on more than 120 properties, predominantly in the vicinity around Clinton. The fire is currently most active on its western and southern perimeters.
Environment Canada has issued a yellow severe thunderstorm watch for a large part of the B.C. Interior, Cariboo, and Metro Vancouver, with severe thunderstorm warnings in effect for portions of Vancouver Island. The department advises seeking immediate shelter if a thunderstorm approaches.
The B.C. Wildfire Service cautioned that shifting weather patterns could bring dry lightning strikes and high winds across the southern and central Interior, along with localized gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour accompanying certain thunderstorms. This could escalate fire behavior in current fire zones and potentially ignite new wildfires.
A new lightning-sparked wildfire emerged south of Kamloops in the Jacko Lake area on Saturday. By the evening, the fire had expanded to 44 hectares and was considered “being held” by the wildfire service, indicating it is not projected to spread beyond its current boundaries. Crews and air personnel have been dispatched to the scene, with significant progress reported on Saturday. Efforts to establish and fortify containment lines will persist, including overnight work by a Kamloops Fire Rescue team.
As of Saturday evening, there were over 150 active wildfires across B.C., with nearly 60 of them categorized as out of control. The provincial state of emergency related to wildfires was extended by the B.C. government until at least August 29.
