Spreading wildfires in B.C. trigger power disruptions across province

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The Thompson-Nicola Regional District in the southern Interior announced an overnight expansion of an evacuation order south of Clinton, due to the out-of-control Pear Lake fire that is also part of the Big Bar Complex of fires.

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Kevin Skrepnek, the district’s manager of community and emergency services, had previously said buildings on about 20 properties had been damaged or destroyed.

In the area of Boston Bar, about 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, the RCMP are urging people to comply with all evacuation orders.

Authorities upgraded an evacuation alert to an order just before midnight, covering the Hells Gate to Alexandra Lodge area, south of the town.

In the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, a new evacuation order has been issued for some recreational properties in the Lillooet Lake area.

The entire city of Kimberley in southeast B.C. remains under an evacuation alert due to a cluster of wildfires burning west of the city.

The Regional District of East Kootenay says about 5,400 properties within the City of Kimberly and 66 properties in the St. Mary Lake area are under the alert.

The district launched a vulnerable persons database this week, meant to identify those who need help in the event of an evacuation.

The voluntary database is for people with disabilities, as well as those with limited access to the internet or who don’t drive.

“By registering ahead of time, residents who may need extra help due to mobility, medical needs, or other circumstances, ensure emergency crews know where they are and what support they’ll need in advance,” information officer Loree Duczek said in a news release.

Incident commander Hugh Murdoch says there are seven fires that firefighters are closely watching in the region, and that the fire behaviour “has been held in check for the most part.”

But Murdoch said the weather forecast is far from favourable, with no rain in sight and temperatures above seasonal norms.

The wildfire service says there are about 90 blazes burning across the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2026.

The Canadian Press