The Riley Creek fire burns in steep terrain on July 28. (Image Credit: BC Wildfire Service)

By James Peters

Riley Creek Wildfire

Danger from month-old Lillooet-area wildfire creeps into TNRD; SLRD expands alerts

Jul 30, 2026 | 8:06 PM

LILLOOET, B.C. — (UPDATE 9:15 p.m.): A wildfire south of Lillooet that was declared ‘being held’ two weeks ago is once again out of control – and spreading toward the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD).

The Riley Creek fire sparked on June 24. It grew to 72 hectares before BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) crews declared it held on July 15.

That status didn’t last. As of Thursday evening (July 30), the fire is mapped at 1,150 hectares and out of control.

The TNRD put two properties on evacuation alert Thursday – 24,500 and 25,000 Texas Creek Road. They are represented in the map below:

(Image Credit: TNRD)

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Details of the evacuation alert can be found here. Residents under evacuation alert should be prepared to leave on very short notice.

Thursday evening, the Lytton First Nation also issued an evacuation alert for Nesikep IR 6 on the west side of the Fraser River. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) also expanded its evacuation alert for properties in the Texas Creek area.

Evacuation alerts are already in place from the District of Lillooet as well as the Cayoose Creek and T’it’q’et First Nations.

“We continue to see increased fire activity on the Riley Creek wildfire,” the BC Wildfire Service said in an update posted to its website Thursday. “Due to recent growth on the south flank of the fire, the size has been updated after a more accurate track. It continues to burn in very steep and rocky terrain that poses a safety risk for responders.”

“Smoke will be highly visible to the surrounding communities on days where the combination of stronger winds and a rise in temperatures have increased fire activity.”

by James Peters

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Danger from month-old Lillooet-area wildfire creeps into TNRD; SLRD expands alerts

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