Wildfires near Clinton now over 213,000 hectares, remain out-of-control
Published 11:50 am Sunday, August 9, 2026
Wildfires in and around the Big Bar complex near Clinton are still out-of-control, with several evacuation orders and alerts in place.
The entire complex covers more than 213,000 hectares as of Aug. 9.
The Pear Lake wildfire saw growth and is now 142,900 hectares. French Bar Creek sits at 39,044 hectares, while the Rim Lake wildfire is estimated at 4,794 hectares.
Bonanza Creek, which is not a part of the Big Bar complex but is nearby and to the west of the other fires, is at 26,822 hectares.
Pear Lake Wildfire
BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) posted a response update on its website.
“The atmosphere holds some instability [Sunday], but with light winds we expect another smoky day with limited fire spread. Smoke that settles over the fire acts like a shield, blocking direct sun and keeping fire behaviour lower than it would be under clear skies. Temperatures will reach around 25 C with relative humidity near 25 per cent; slightly cooler and more humid than earlier in the week but still dry enough to keep the fire active,” it said.
It added that fire behaviour is fuel-driven, and fuels are highly receptive after a week of hot and dry weather. It expects this fire behaviour to continue for the next three to five days.
On Aug. 8, the Pear Lake blaze crossed Jesmond Road and grew three kilometres to the west.
“If the fire continues to advance in this area and winds shift back to a southerly or southwesterly direction in the coming days, the surrounding terrain could channel those winds up the Jesmond Road between Edge Hills and the Marble Range, driving more aggressive fire behaviour,” BCWS said.
BCWS said that it does not anticipate any significant spread in the rangelands and grasslands at the south end of the fire, where the fuels are largely unreceptive.
At Big Bar Road, increased fire behaviour is being seen within the fire perimeter.
French Bar Creek and Bonanza Creek
The French Bar Creek blaze continues to grow, driven by dense fuels and terrain. BCWS said that the fire’s growth has been tough to track due to low visibility, but that it has seen limited expansion to the south in the last 48 hours.
“We anticipate growth will continue in the days ahead, pending a significant change in weather conditions. Should winds intensify, we expect to see growth increase further. This fire is burning intensely in steep, inaccessible terrain, making direct response unsafe for our crews. The safety of responders remains our top priority,” it said.
BCWS added that in the upcoming days, due to warm and dry conditions, French Bar Creek and Bonanza Creek may end up merging.
“With the right conditions, these fires could generate their own convective activity, which will further intensify fire behaviour in the days ahead.”
Rim Lake
BCWS has observed minimal growth on the Rim Lake wildfire. The blaze is burning within an old burn scar and due to reduced fuel, the fire activity is remaining minimal.
Current evacuation alerts and orders can be found on EmergencyInfoBC.
DriveBC will have the most up-to-date information for travel. BCWS advised that there are discrepancies between DriveBC and Google Maps.
BCWS continues to advise residents in evacuation order areas to leave immediately.
“Critical access and egress routes can be cut off quickly by active flames or falling trees, and heavy smoke will seriously reduce visibility. Remaining in an evacuation order area puts our crews at risk and interferes with operations. Our priority is life, followed by property. When crews are committed to protecting human life, they are unable to protect other priority values.”
BCWS is also working with BC Hydro, local government, utility, and transportation partners to restore services.
“This includes working directly with BC Hydro to support the ongoing restoration of damaged infrastructure. Rockfall and downed trees along the roadways remain a safety hazard, and we continue to coordinate with our partners to ensure safe access,” it said.
An incident management team, 471 firefighters, 22 helicopters, 116 pieces of heavy equipment, and 225 structure protection personnel are responding to the Big Bar complex.