Pear Lake wildfire forces evacuations and damages homes near Clinton, BC
The Pear Lake wildfire, first spotted on July 17 southwest of Clinton, British Columbia, has burned roughly 66,870 hectares. Strong southerly winds of up to 70 km/h and a drought rating of four out of five in the south Cariboo have driven extreme fire behaviour, prompting evacuations of the Village of Clinton and 70 Mile House and alerts for surrounding communities.
Provincial officials, including Premier David Eby and Mayor Roland Stanke, are coordinating damage assessments and relief. A public meeting hosted by the Thompson‑Nicola Regional District will provide updates to residents. Over 200 firefighters from Mexico and about 100 crews from other Canadian provinces have been deployed, alongside BC Wildfire Service resources such as helicopters, heavy equipment and structure‑protection units.
Trace rainfall on the fire’s northern flank offered brief dampening but did not halt the blaze. Meanwhile, BC Conservation Officers issued 19 violation tickets and collected nearly $22,000 in fines for illegal campfires. Residents report extensive property loss, with some describing the damage as “everything is gone.”
Entities: BC Wildfire Service · British Columbia Wildfire Service · Bryce Moreira · Clinton, British Columbia · Mayor Roland Stanke · Nicolas Kosovic · Pear Lake Wildfire · Pear Lake fire · Premier David Eby · Roland Stanke · Steve Larabie · Village of Clinton
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The BC Wildfire Service posted photos on Monday showing smoke over forested hills while the village's residential areas appeared intact. (Canadian Press reports)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Pear Lake fire forced the evacuation of Clinton, British Columbia on Friday, July 25, 2026. (Canadian Press reports)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The residential area of Clinton was largely spared while structural losses occurred on the outskirts of the village. (Canadian Press reports)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Steve Larabie and his family lost everything on their property three kilometres south of Clinton during the fire. (Statement by Steve Larabie to Canadian Press)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The wildfire merged with another blaze the next day and expanded to more than 600 square kilometres. (Canadian Press report)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Clinton village councillor Nicolas Kosovic said there would be 'tragic stories' as structural losses are confirmed. (Canadian Press interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] A video recorded on July 25, 2026 shows a smouldering field of blackened soil, scorched metal, and downed power lines near Clinton. (Canadian Press reports)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Pear Lake fire displayed Rank 4–5 fire behavior, indicating extremely vigorous surface and crown fire activity. (article d33961b0-3300-4f22-b3da-bbcdf7f2951a)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A second nearby fire was believed to have been sparked by lightning. (article 0fff7b42-2c97-41d6-964c-0c3901215c79)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A 12‑hectare wildfire near Westwold, southeast of Kamloops, was declared held on July 28, 2026. (article 0fff7b42-2c97-41d6-964c-0c3901215c79)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Two helicopters were deployed to the Westwold fire; air‑tankers were prevented from flying because of unsafe downdrafts. (article 0fff7b42-2c97-41d6-964c-0c3901215c79)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Westwold fire was suspected to have been caused by human activity. (article 0fff7b42-2c97-41d6-964c-0c3901215c79)