The Fiftynine Creek fire burning northeast of Clinton in the southern Cariboo. Photograph was taken at 1:22pm on Friday. By 10pm, BCWS estimated the fire had exploded to roughly 40 sq/KM in size/via BC Wildfire Service
A wide scale evacuation order covering dozens of households in the southern Cariboo region of the Thompson Nicola Regional District.
The Regional District has issued an evacuation order covering 131 properties facing the threat of the so-called Fiftynine Creek wildfire burning a short distance away from the properties to the east of the Fraser River and Highway 97, just north of Clinton.
The fire, which was first reported earlier in the day on Friday, has exploded in size, jumping to an estimated 4,000 hectares in the course of just a few hours.
The fire was first overflown just before 1:30pm on Friday, with the fire just starting to take hold.
Those forced out of there homes in the neighborhood are being told to marshal together at the Clinton Memorial Hall, where Emergency Support Services teams have been established to document and help the dozens of people being moved out of the area.
This represents just the 2nd evacuation order issued by the TNRD to date this fire season, after putting people living in one property to the west of Highway 97, northwest of Clinton, out of their home due to a nearby fire.
It comes as the BC Wildfire Service has recorded a massive increase in the number of active wildfires over the course of roughly 18 hours on Friday.
BC Wildfire Service Dashboard figures as of 10pm, on Friday, July 17, 2026. Dry conditions and lightening fueling the sharp rise in starts/via BC Wildfire Service
“Warming and drying conditions are expected to persist throughout the week, expanding further north and west across the province,” noted the BC Wildfire Service in its June 17th dashboard update. “Increasing temperatures and limited precipitation will continue to reduce fuel moisture levels, elevating the potential for new wildfire starts.”
At the same time, the lightening the Wildfire Service had warned of earlier in the week made its presence known on Friday, with the forecast not holding out a lot of optimism moving forward.
“Widespread thunderstorm activity is forecast this week, bringing an increased risk of lightning-caused ignitions,” stated the Wildfire Service in its update. “Although winds are expected to moderate somewhat across B.C., strong and gusty outflow winds may accompany thunderstorms as lightning activity increases.”
Map showing evacuation orders [red] and alerts [yellow], as well as other fires which now dot Area E [outlined] of the Thompson Nicola Regional District in the southern Cariboo/via TNRD
The blaze next to Skeetchestn territory northwest of Savona on the opposite side of Kamloops Lake was discovered in the early evening Friday.
While it was only listed as spot size (0.03 hectares) as of 10pm on Friday, the tinder-dry conditions in the area, as well as available fuels, could increase the potential level of spread.
It was not clear as of late Friday evening what may have set that fire off.
BC Wildfire Service map showing a small, fire of undetermined origin catching hold Friday evening, June 17, 2026 next to Skeetchestn Band land west of Kamloops/via BC Wildfire Service.
