Wildfires merge near Boston Bar as B.C. evacuation areas grow

Two of three out-of-control wildfires near Boston Bar have merged as hot, dry weather and lightning drive new fire activity and evacuation measures across British Columbia.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said the 57-square-kilometre Anderson Creek fire grew rapidly Thursday and joined the southern edge of the 173-square-kilometre Ainslie Creek fire. An evacuation alert tied to Ainslie Creek was expanded to about 110 properties roughly 32 kilometres southeast of Merritt, while the Hells Gate-to-Alexandra Lodge area south of Boston Bar was placed under evacuation order. Protecting nearby structures remains a priority.

Near Clinton, the Fiftynine Creek fire has grown to about 170 square kilometres. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District expanded an evacuation order south of Clinton for the Pear Lake fire, while the community itself remains on alert. The district said buildings on about 20 properties have been damaged or destroyed; up to a dozen people lost homes, most of them vacation or secondary residences. Fifteen other properties lost non-residential structures, mainly southeast of Big Bar Lake.

Kimberley and 5,400 properties in the city, along with 66 properties near St. Mary Lake, remain under evacuation alert because of fires west of the city. The Regional District of East Kootenay reported two new fires along the St. Mary River and another north of Fairmont Hot Springs. It has also launched a voluntary database to identify residents who may need additional evacuation support.

BC Hydro said wildfire activity near Clinton may cause flickering lights, interruptions or voltage fluctuations while crews cannot reach affected equipment. The wildfire service reported 104 active fires provincewide. Conditions near Kimberley had largely held in check, according to an incident commander, but no rain and above-seasonal temperatures were forecast.