Two major wildfires merge near Clinton, B.C., scorching 670 square kilometres

Two wildfires threatening the village of Clinton, B.C., and the surrounding area merged late Saturday, stretching the combined blaze to nearly 670 square kilometres.

The Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek blazes remained very active on Sunday, moving north and northeast of the Chasm area, about 20 kilometres north of Clinton. Fire information officer Shae Stearns said crews continued to work in Clinton to protect structures and fight active fire in the community, which was ordered evacuated Friday as the Pear Lake fire surged.

The Pear Lake fire destroyed structures, including homes, on the outskirts of Clinton on Friday. A local official confirmed structural losses in the area. Steve Larabie, owner of a towing and autobody business three kilometres south of Clinton, said he and his family lost everything, including two homes and his business. He reported that about 3,000 vehicles and 50 pieces of equipment at the business burned as flames advanced.

By Sunday, the two fires had merged and crossed Highway 97, which would require repairs. On the east side of the highway, the wildfire service noted the flames were moving into an area already scarred by wildfire, helping to moderate fire activity. However, the region has been plagued by drought, raising the risk of ignitions and aggressive fire behaviour. While Metro Vancouver received rain on Sunday, Stearns said significant rain was not expected in the Clinton area, about 350 kilometres to the northeast.

To the east, the Central Okanagan emergency management centre had issued an evacuation alert for residents of more than 500 properties in the La Casa area north of West Kelowna on Saturday due to a nearby blaze, but it was lifted Sunday. The centre reported that significant progress had been made by firefighting crews in reducing fire activity and protecting the area. In the Fraser Canyon, the community of Boston Bar and surrounding areas remained subject to evacuation orders from the Brunswick complex of fires, which together span more than 355 square kilometres.