Evacuation orders expanded around Clinton as over 100 B.C. wildfires continue to burn

Crews battling massive wildfire near Clinton, B.C., conduct planned ignition

Planned burn intended to wipe out unburned fuels in area north of community

Crews battling the massive Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton, B.C., say they completed a planned ignition meant to help contain the fire on Friday evening.

In a Friday evening update, the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said crews used a combination of aerial and hand ignition complete a 160-hectare burn in the same area north of Clinton where they performed a planned ignition on Wednesday.

The operation is intended to remove unburned fuel between Big Bar Road and an area to the south where the fire has burned to Highway 97, bringing the fire into existing control lines.

"Conditions onsite are currently favourable," the BCWS said.

In its own Friday update, the Village of Clinton said it had not identified any new impacts to properties since a rapid damage assessment conducted on Thursday.

Earlier on Friday, hundreds of additional properties around Clinton were put under evacuation order as the Pear Lake wildfire grew.

A new order from the Cariboo Regional District covers 366 land parcels, while an expanded order from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District adds another 536 addressed properties to nearly 600 already under order. The Bonaparte First Nation also issued an order on Friday.

The Pear Lake wildfire, which has also prompted evacuations of Clinton and 70 Mile House, had scorched more than 904 square kilometres as of Friday morning.

Meanwhile, multiple new evacuation orders were issued Friday evening due to the Riley Creek wildfire burning south of Lillooet, which has grown go 11.5 square kilometres in size.

The T’it’q’et First Nation issued evacuation orders for two reserves on the west side of the Fraser River on Friday, while the Thompson Nicola Regional District and Lytton First Nation issued their own orders for areas downriver.

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District also expanded an evacuation order late Thursday due to an out-of-control wildfire burning near Lillooet Lake.

The order is due to the Twin Two Creek wildfire, which was first spotted on July 17, and has grown to more 28 square kilometres in size.

Guichon Creek wildfire burning near Logan Lake

Across B.C., more than 30 evacuation orders are in place, as about 108 wildfires continue to burn.

Before Friday's evacuation orders were issued, there were about 1,600 properties across B.C. under order, and another 3,000 under alert.

In a Thursday update, the B.C. Wildfire Service said widespread warming and drying conditions were expected to continue through the long weekend, particularly in the southeastern parts of B.C., raising the wildfire risk.

It added that more out-of-province wildfire crews were expected to arrive in the coming days to assist in the firefight.