Big Bar complex fires near Clinton still out of control
Published 5:13 pm Sunday, August 23, 2026
UPDATE 5 P.M. SUNDAY, AUG. 23
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has downgraded an evacuation order for 20 addressed properties to evacuation alert, while residents of South Green Lake, 70 Mile House, and Loon Lake have seen their evacuation alert downgraded to all clear.
The changes went into effect at 3 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 23), in response to the Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton.
The evacuation order downgrade applies to the following properties:
– 1132 to 1260 Hooke Road
– 880 to 1402 Isadore Road
– 1468 and 2628 Highway 99
– 6421 Jesmond Road
– 1833 to 2012 Pavilion-Clinton Road
Some 282 addressed properties in TNRD Electoral Area “E” remain on evacuation alert due to the Pear Lake wildfire. Approximately 61 addressed properties in Area “E” remain on evacuation order: 5930 to 8065 Big Bar Road; 5445 High Bar Road; 5521 and 5665 Highway 97; 6656 to 10843 Jesmond Road; and 7620 to 7628 Meadow Lake Road.
Some 1,243 addressed properties in Area “E” have been downgraded from evacuation alert to all clear. In addition to South Green Lake, 70 Mile House, and Loon Lake, the all clear applies to some properties on Highway 97 south of 20 Mile, as well as properties south of Highway 99.
For a map and more information about the affected properties, as well as an interactive map where residents can check the status of individual addresses, visit the TNRD’s Emergency Operations Centre dashboard.
The TNRD has resources available for returning evacuees, including a Returning Home After a Wildfire information package and a Pear Lake Wildfire Waste Disposal information package. A Resiliency Centre at the Clinton Curling Club (1419 Kellow Lane) is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and has more resources, including bottled water, cleaning kits, toiletries and hygiene items, food items, and staff who can answer questions.
For more information call the TNRD’s EOC at 250-377-7188 (toll-free at 1-866-377-7188).
ORIGINAL STORY
Bonaparte First Nation (BFN) has downgraded an evacuation order for two of its reserves to an evacuation alert as of 3 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 23).
IR 1 and IR 2, on Highway 99 near Hat Creek Road, were placed on evacuation order on Aug. 11 in response to the Pear Lake wildfire, burning out of control near Clinton. The order has now been downgraded to an evacuation alert, meaning that the fire is still considered a potential risk. Residents should stay prepared in case conditions change, and monitor official sources for updates.
BFN has also announced that evacuation alerts that were in place for IR 3 and IR 4 have been rescinded as of Sunday, and downgraded to all clear.
As of Sunday, the Pear Lake fire was estimated at 164,740 hectares. BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said that overnight on Saturday and into Sunday morning, varying amounts of precipitation were received across the area, but that a warming and drying trend is expected as of Monday.
The fire is still active along the southern flank and in the southwest corner, above Highway 99 near Pavilion Lake. The highway remains open to traffic, but no stopping is allowed. Wildfire conditions could change suddenly, meaning that the highway closes with little or no notice, so drivers are advised to check DriveBC for up-to-date road information.
South of Pavilion Mountain, crews and heavy equipment operators have completed machine guard and will continue to bolster these lines over the coming days, removing additional fuel with equipment and planned ignition operations to limit the chance of the fire growing beyond these containment lines.
Ignition plans have been developed for the south flank of the fire, north of Highway 99. The objective of these ignitions is to remove the fuel between the main fire and the established control lines. Ground and aerial resources will look to complete the identified ignition operations in the coming days where conditions are favourable. Crews are continuing to mop up in areas where ignitions were completed.
The Pear Lake fire is also active on the northwest flank (Canoe Creek, Meadow Lake, Riley Lake), and around Jesmond between Big Bar Ferry Road and Big Bar Mountain. On the northwest flank, crews have installed a sprinkler line, and are going direct to suppress fires and mop up remaining hotspots where it is safe to do so. Ignition plans have been developed for the northwest flank of Big Bar Mountain.
At Jesmond, crews are working around the fire perimeter to extinguish hotspots and reduce the potential for future growth. Heavy equipment continues to work south, establishing guard that will support the long-term containment of the west flank.
The nearby French Bar Creek wildfire, to the west of the Pear Lake fire, was estimated at 59,508 hectares as of Sunday. The two fires are part of the Big Bar complex, which has 21 helicopters assigned to it, along with 476 firefighting personnel, 89 structure protection personnel, and 120 pieces of heavy equipment. A structure protection crew has deployed apparatus to the south flank of the French Bar Creek fire.
On Sunday afternoon, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District announced that an evacuation order issued for the French Bar Creek fire, covering two properties at 7129 and 7140 Empire Valley Road, had been downgraded to an evacuation alert. An evacuation order remains in place for 10 addressed properties within the fire’s area. Details can be found at the TNRD’s Emergency Operations Centre Dashboard.
For information about evacuation orders and alerts issued in response to the Big Bar complex, visit EmergencyInfoBC. For information about the fires, and all other wildfires currently active in the province, visit the BC Wildfire Service interactive map.