Crews ignite a 30-hectare section on east flank off of the Fiftynine Creek Fire near Big Bar Road on Tuesday, July 21. (Image Credit: BC Wildfire Service)

By Victor Kaisar

BC Wildfires

At least a dozen properties near Big Bar Lake impacted by Fiftynine Creek fire: TNRD

Jul 23, 2026 | 9:48 AM

CLINTON, B.C. — The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) says the Fiftynine Creek fire in Electoral Area “E” (Bonaparte Plateau) has affected a number of properties, primarily in the southeastern part of Big Bar Lake.

“I’d say we have at least a dozen properties where structures have been fully destroyed – again homes or secondary properties or other structures, even garages or sheds,” TNRD spokesperson Colton Davies told CFJC Today. “This fire came up so fast on Friday (July 17) and a lot of folks would not have had time to prepare for even the evacuation alert before it was switched to a tactical evacuation order.

“[It’s a] really challenging time for a lot of people who are going through structure loss and we’ve been in contact with those people.”

The Fiftynine Creek fire is an estimated 109 square kilometres in size, and Thursday (July 23) morning, the TNRD expanded evacuation orders and alerts. There are now approximately 193 properties in the TNRD on evacuation order and another 105 properties on evacuation alert from this fire.

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That’s up from Wednesday’s estimate of 182 properties on evacuation order and 93 properties on evacuation alert. The Village of Clinton remains on evacuation alert as well.

“We’re taking with probably dozens of people every day especially in the Big Bar Lake area where more of the population is affected,” Davies added. “It’s a bit of a helpless feeling when people are on order wondering when it will be lifted and when they’ll be able to access their properties. It’s pretty fluid right not, its day by day is what we’re telling these people.”

Evacuation orders and alerts are also in place around the nearby French Bar Creek fire and the Pear Lake Fire, but Davies said at this time, there are no reports of any structures lost at those fires.

by Victor Kaisar

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At least a dozen properties near Big Bar Lake impacted by Fiftynine Creek fire: TNRD

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