Village of Clinton stills standing with some structure losses, but wildfire still looms

Jul 25, 2026 | 11:00 AM

CLINTON, B.C. — An official with the village of Clinton says the community is largely still standing after an overnight battle against a raging wildfire.

Brian Doddridge, with the village’s emergency operations centre, says he believes the “vast majority” of Clinton’s residential area has survived the encroaching flames.

Still, he says officials understand some structures have been lost, and the effort to hold the fire at bay continues after an overnight battle.

“The fire split and travelled up Hart Ridge to the South and towards Lime Lookout to the Northeast,” village officials said in a statement Saturday. “The extent of the damage will need to be assessed once the danger has passed and property owners can be notified.”

“The extent of the damage is in the South side of town in the industrial area. Residents are encouraged not to speculate on the damage, as this can be very distressing to property owners.”

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Residents were ordered to leave their homes on Friday, and while Doddridge was among a handful of village staff who initially remained behind to help manage the evacuation, he says they left at about 5:00 p.m., with the fire fast approaching.

Doddridge says fire crews worked overnight to install sprinklers and beat back the Pear Lake blaze, one of three fires that make up the Big Bar wildfire complex.

The BC Wildfire Service says all three were expected to continue growing, and crews were reassessing conditions to guide Saturday’s efforts.

Doddridge says “a lot of really great people” have been working around the clock to protect the village and its infrastructure, but the threat remains.

“We’re just kind of hanging our hopes on them right now,” he said in an interview from Kamloops, B.C., on Friday.

Power is out in the village, and officials say security is in place to help the RCMP keep order and ensure that residents who have stayed behind do not interfere with fire fighting efforts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2026.

– With files from Victor Kaisar/CFJC Today

by The Canadian Press

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Village of Clinton stills standing with some structure losses, but wildfire still looms

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