On July 24, 2026, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for roughly 600 people near Clinton , British Columbia , due to the Pear Lake wildfire.. The blaze has forced the closure of a significant stretch of Highway 97 as crews battle extreme fire behavior.
The 3,185-hectare threat to Clinton
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) and the Village of Clinton have ordered nearly 600 residents to leave their homes as of July 24, 2026. According to the report, these mandatory orders encompass the entire Village of Clinton and various properties along Highway 97, both north and south of the community.
The Pear Lake wildfire has grown to an estimated 3,185 hectares, pushing aggressively eastward. This rapid expansion has forced an evacuation alert for areas stretching from Loon Lake Road to Six Mile Lake, indicating that the danger zone is still widening as the fire burns west of Clinton.
Highway 97 closures from Loon Lake Road to Chasm
Highway 97, a vital artery for British Columbia's Southern Interior, is currently shut down between Chasm and Loon Lake Road. As the report says, this closure includes the segment between Mound Road and Clinton Cemetery Road to ensure that residents can be evacuated safely and firefighting equipment can move without interference.
Travelers are being diverted through Highways 1 and 24, though officials warn that these routes are subject to sudden changes. Smoke from the Pear Lake wildfire has significantly reduced visibility, creating hazardous driving conditions for anyone attempting to navigate the region, and authorities have strictly prohibited the use of drones in the area.
Rank 4 behavior and 25 percent humidity
Fire officials have classified the blaze as exhibiting Rank 4 fire behavior, which involves an organized flame front and intermittent crown fires. This extreme activity is being driven by southwest winds and severe drought conditions that have left the region's fuels highly combustible.
Relative humidity in the area has plummeted to between 25 and 30 percent, further accelerating the fire's spread. While the Pear Lake fire was first detected on July 17 and is suspected to be the result of lightning,an approaching cold front threatens to increase wind speeds and trigger even more growth during afternoon and evening periods.
Fire guards from Kelly Lake to the eastern transmission lines
Ground crews are currently fighting the Pear Lake wildfire by constructing fire guards and laying hose lines along the power line corridor from Kelly Lake to the high-voltage transmission lines to the east. These barriers are designed to stop the fire from entering the valley and threatening more residential areas.
In addition to the eastern efforts, a machine-built guard has been completed on the south flank, stretching from the Pavilion-Clinton Road toward a scree slope above the train tracks. Helicopters are supporting these ground operations with water bucketing to dampen the flames as the fire continues to burn eastward after crossing the Pavilion-Clinton Road.
The ghost of the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire
The current crisis in the Village of Clinton echoes the trauma of the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire, which displaced the community for 17 days between July and August. This history of volatility makes the current mandatory evacuations particularly urgent for a population already familiar with the devastating speed of Southern Interior blazes.
Despite the intensity of the response, several critical details remain unverified. It is not yet confirmed if the lightning-cause theory is a certainty or merely a suspicion, and the report does not specify if any structures have been destroyed. Furthermore, it remains unclear how long the Highway 97 closure will persist given the unpredictable nature of the approaching cold front.
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