More than 470 properties in and around Clinton, British Columbia, were ordered evacuated Friday as the Big Bar wildfire complex advanced with extreme intensity, forcing residents to flee under gale-force winds and thick smoke.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued the evacuation order at 11:30 a.m. for Clinton, a village of several hundred people 350 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, before expanding it at 5:30 p.m. to include areas north to Chasm. Officials warned the Fiftynine Creek fire—part of the Big Bar complex—had grown to 167 square kilometers and was exhibiting rank-five behavior, the second-most severe on the wildfire scale.
Residents Describe "Hurricane-Like" Conditions During Evacuation
Nicolas Kosovic, owner of the Stagecoach Cafe, said he was among the last to leave Clinton, watching flames crest a hill south of the village as winds hurled debris through deserted streets. "It was like a hurricane, the dust—you couldn’t see anything," he said. "It wasn’t anything like what I expected a wildfire to look like."
Kosovic and his mother distributed over 100 sandwiches to evacuees before fleeing. He later praised firefighters, some of whom they had fed all week, for working in "conditions I couldn’t believe anyone would endure." Mayor Roland Stanke, who evacuated in the afternoon, said he was monitoring cameras at his home and described the situation as "extremely bad." "I’m gonna lose my house any minute," he told reporters.
Wildfires Spread Across BC, Threatening Three Communities
The Clinton evacuation is one of three major wildfire crises unfolding in British Columbia. In the Fraser Canyon, the entire community of Boston Bar remains under evacuation order due to the combined Anderson Creek, Ainslie Creek, and Brunswick Creek fires, which span 340 square kilometers. Meanwhile, 5,400 properties in Kimberley are on evacuation alert as the Bootleg fire complex grows.
Across BC, 1,200 properties are under evacuation orders—double the number from Tuesday—while 6,400 more are on alert. The BC Wildfire Service reported 120 active fires late Friday, with 35 igniting in the past 24 hours. Colton Davies, a Thompson-Nicola Regional District spokesperson, confirmed at least a dozen homes—mostly vacation properties—had already been destroyed near Clinton, along with 15 non-residential structures.
What Happens Next: Evacuation Routes and Firefighting Challenges
Residents south of Clinton were directed to evacuate via Highway 97 to Kamloops, while those north of the village were told to take Highway 24. The BC Wildfire Service said crews had been pulled back from the front lines due to the fire’s extreme behavior but would reassess when conditions allow. BC Hydro warned of potential power outages across the province as wildfires near Clinton damaged equipment.
Officials urged residents in evacuation alert zones to prepare for possible orders, citing hot, dry conditions and forecasted winds. "We are anticipating new fire starts due to last night’s lightning," the Regional District of East Kootenay said Friday. Updates on evacuation orders and fire growth are expected throughout the weekend.
