DAILY INTELLIGENCE LOG

British Columbia & Alberta

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Information current as of the morning of July 28, 2026, Pacific Time.

Wildfire conditions, evacuation boundaries, transportation access and restrictions can change quickly. Instructions from the responsible local government, First Nation, emergency authority or transportation agency always take priority.

────────────────────────────────────────

OPERATIONAL ASSESSMENT

EVACUATION EXPANSION ACROSS THE CLINTON–70 MILE HOUSE CORRIDOR IS TODAY’S LEADING OPERATIONAL CONCERN

Here’s what we know:

Evacuation pressure increased significantly Monday across the broader Big Bar and Pear Lake wildfire environment.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District now lists Evacuation Orders affecting:

• Rose Road and Clinton-Loon Lake Forest Service Road

• Meadow Lake Road

• 70 Mile House and surrounding areas

• Spius Creek, Petit Creek Road and Prospect Creek

• Areas near Chasm Road, Highway 97 and River Lakes Forest Service Road

• Highway 97 north of Loon Lake Road

• The Black Dome Mine area

Additional Evacuation Alerts remain in effect around Big Bar Road, Meadow Lake Road, Loon Lake, Green Lake, 70 Mile House, Highway 97 and surrounding electoral areas.

This represents a change from yesterday morning, when the primary development was a planned evacuation escalation. The new Orders are now active and extend the operational concern across several rural communities, travel corridors and dispersed properties.

Elsewhere in British Columbia:

• French Bar and Felker Fire Area 2 remain under Evacuation Order in the Cariboo Regional District.

• New or expanded Alerts were issued Monday for French Bar Fire Area 3, Fiftynine Creek–Pear Lake Fire Area 2 and Bowers Lake.

• Boston Bar, Boston Bar First Nation, North Bend and Canyon Alpine remain within a complex evacuation and access environment.

• Highway 1 remains closed through the Boston Bar wildfire area, with a detour in effect.

• The Central Okanagan currently reports no wildfire-related Evacuation Orders or Alerts.

Alberta continues to list no Wildfires of Note, but elevated fire-weather concerns remain in parts of southern and west-central Alberta.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Further changes to the 70 Mile House and Clinton-area evacuation boundaries

• Highway 97 access and traffic movement

• Expansion toward additional rural communities or First Nations jurisdictions

• French Bar, Felker and Fiftynine Creek evacuation status

• Highway 1 through Boston Bar

• Fire response during the hotter conditions expected later this week

Here’s why it matters:

The wildfire situation is not defined only by fire size.

Multiple active Orders affecting rural roads, dispersed properties, transportation corridors and several government and First Nations jurisdictions create a complex operational environment even where precise fire-growth figures are unavailable or changing.

────────────────────────────────────────

TODAY’S CONDITIONS

CLINTON, 70 MILE HOUSE AND THE BIG BAR WILDFIRE ENVIRONMENT

Here’s what we know:

Multiple Evacuation Orders are now active across the Thompson-Nicola Regional District north and west of Clinton and around 70 Mile House.

The affected area includes communities and properties associated with Highway 97, Loon Lake Road, Meadow Lake Road, Chasm Road, Rose Road and several forest service roads.

Evacuation Alerts also remain around the active Order areas. Residents outside an Order should not assume they are unaffected simply because their address is not included in a broad community description. The official evacuation map should be checked by exact location.

Conditions around Clinton are comparatively moderate today, with temperatures near 25°C and isolated thundershower potential. Temperatures are expected to rise toward approximately 31°C by Friday.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Whether existing Orders expand or contract

• Changes involving 70 Mile House, Loon Lake and Green Lake

• Highway 97 closures, escorts or access restrictions

• New fire growth following afternoon heating

• Lightning outside areas receiving meaningful rainfall

• Smoke limiting visibility or affecting travel

• Confirmed structure, utility or communications impacts

Here’s why it matters:

Moderate temperatures can support suppression work, but they do not immediately reverse fire conditions in heavier fuels or eliminate the potential for continued growth.

Residents under Order must leave immediately. Residents under Alert should be prepared to depart with little additional notice.

────────────────────────────────────────

CARIBOO — FRENCH BAR, FELKER, FIFTYNINE CREEK AND BOWERS LAKE

Here’s what we know:

The Cariboo Regional District continues to manage multiple wildfire evacuation areas.

Evacuation Orders remain active for:

• French Bar Fire Area

• Felker Fire Area 2

Evacuation Alerts include:

• Bowers Lake Fire Area

• French Bar Fire Area 3

• French Bar Fire Area 2

• Fiftynine Creek–Pear Lake Fire Area 2

• Fiftynine Creek Fire Area

• Bourgeois Creek Fire Area

• Felker Fire Areas

• Bonanza Creek Fire Area

• Lessard Lake Fire Area

Several of these boundaries were added or updated Monday. That indicates continued adjustment of the evacuation footprint even where individual incidents may be showing different levels of suppression progress.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Further expansion around French Bar and Fiftynine Creek

• Whether Felker evacuation boundaries change

• Rural-road and forest-service-road access

• Livestock transportation and agricultural impacts

• Private water, power and communications reliability

• Confirmed structure losses or damage

• Whether any Orders are downgraded as suppression progresses

Here’s why it matters:

The Cariboo is dealing with multiple incidents at the same time.

That can create operational pressure across firefighting resources, evacuation support, livestock movement, road access and public communication. Conditions should be assessed by the exact incident and evacuation map rather than by a general regional description.

────────────────────────────────────────

FRASER CANYON — BOSTON BAR AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

Here’s what we know:

Evacuation Orders remain associated with Boston Bar, Boston Bar First Nation, North Bend, Canyon Alpine and parts of Fraser Valley Regional District Electoral Area A.

Highway 1 remains closed through the Boston Bar wildfire area. DriveBC continues to list a wildfire-related closure and detour.

The Fraser Canyon event remains operationally complex because wildfire activity overlaps with:

• Community evacuation

• Highway access

• Rail infrastructure

• Steep terrain

• Water-system concerns

• First Nations and regional district jurisdictions

No current official information reviewed this morning supports describing the evacuation or highway situation as resolved.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Highway 1 reopening criteria

• Changes to Boston Bar and North Bend evacuation boundaries

• Access for residents, emergency services and essential deliveries

• Water, power and communications reliability

• Rail and highway infrastructure exposure

• Confirmed structure impacts

• Fire behaviour as temperatures rise Wednesday through Friday

Here’s why it matters:

The Fraser Canyon situation cannot be assessed by wildfire perimeter alone.

Loss of transportation access or essential services can create serious community consequences even where structures are not directly reached by the fire.

────────────────────────────────────────

CENTRAL OKANAGAN

Here’s what we know:

The Regional District of Central Okanagan currently reports no wildfire-related Evacuation Orders or Alerts.

This remains a meaningful improvement from the La Casa Alert that was rescinded Sunday.

Kelowna is expected to reach approximately 30°C today, rising toward 35°C Friday. This creates a renewed drying trend following the recent period of more moderate conditions.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• New wildfire starts during the warming period

• Smoke or visible activity around recently active fires

• Afternoon wind and humidity

• Human-caused ignitions during recreation and property work

• Any new local evacuation information

Here’s why it matters:

The absence of an active evacuation area is positive, but it does not mean the regional wildfire environment has returned to low seasonal risk.

Equipment used during the recent Alert should be restored to a ready condition rather than placed into long-term storage.

────────────────────────────────────────

SOUTHEAST BRITISH COLUMBIA

Here’s what we know:

The Southeast Fire Centre continues to manage an active wildfire environment following significant lightning and fire activity earlier in July.

An area restriction remains associated with the Matthew Creek wildfire response.

Kimberley is expected to reach approximately 29°C today, with temperatures climbing toward 33°C by Friday.

The warming period follows several days during which cooler conditions provided crews with improved suppression opportunities.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Holdover fires from recent lightning

• Activity around Matthew Creek and other existing incidents

• Changes to local evacuation information

• Afternoon wind and humidity

• Whether control lines are tested during the warming trend

• Smoke affecting visibility and air quality

Here’s why it matters:

Suppression progress achieved during cooler weather can be tested when temperatures rise and exposed fuels dry.

A lack of major new evacuation announcements this morning should not be interpreted as an end to the regional fire response.

────────────────────────────────────────

ALBERTA

Here’s what we know:

Alberta currently lists no Wildfires of Note.

Recent rainfall has reduced wildfire danger across several northern forest areas:

• Fort McMurray — Low, with no active wildfires reported

• Grande Prairie — Low, with no active wildfires reported

• Lac La Biche — Low, although four active wildfires remain within the forest area

• High Level — Moderate, with no wildfires of concern reported

Smoke in the High Level area is being attributed primarily to large fires in the Northwest Territories rather than local wildfire activity.

Conditions remain more concerning in parts of southern and west-central Alberta.

The latest official Calgary Forest Area update lists Very High wildfire danger and an active Fire Advisory due to hot, dry and windy conditions.

The latest Rocky Mountain House Forest Area update also lists Very High wildfire danger, little recent precipitation and potential holdover fires following lightning.

Thunderstorms are possible around Rocky Mountain House this afternoon.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• New starts in the Calgary and Rocky Mountain House forest areas

• Lightning and holdover-fire emergence

• Changes to the Calgary Forest Area Fire Advisory

• Areas that receive lightning but little meaningful rainfall

• New municipal incidents outside Alberta’s Forest Protection Area

• Current local restrictions shown through Alberta Fire Bans

Here’s why it matters:

Alberta’s current picture is uneven.

Recent rain has substantially reduced danger across several northern regions, while southern and west-central areas remain capable of producing quick new starts under hot, dry or windy conditions.

The absence of a provincial Wildfire of Note does not mean wildfire risk is uniform or absent.

────────────────────────────────────────

ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

HEAT AND DRYING TREND

Here’s what we know:

Temperatures are expected to increase across several priority British Columbia regions through Friday.

Forecast highs include approximately:

• Boston Bar — 26°C today, rising to 34°C Friday

• Clinton — 25°C today, rising to 31°C Friday

• Kimberley — 29°C today, rising to 33°C Friday

• Kelowna — 30°C today, rising to 35°C Friday

The strongest drying signal is expected Thursday and Friday.

This does not currently represent six consecutive days above 30°C across all monitored regions, but several areas are entering a multi-day period of increasing heat.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Fine-fuel drying following recent showers

• Overnight humidity recovery

• Wind accompanying Friday’s heat

• Increased smoke production during afternoon heating

• Whether existing control lines continue to hold

Here’s why it matters:

A brief period of cooler weather can slow fire behaviour without reversing deeper seasonal dryness.

The operational concern is how quickly fuels respond as heat returns.

────────────────────────────────────────

RAINFALL, LIGHTNING AND HOLDOVER-FIRE POTENTIAL

Here’s what we know:

Recent rainfall has improved conditions across northern Alberta and parts of British Columbia.

Rainfall has not been uniform. Some active-fire regions have received only localized showers, while thunderstorms may produce lightning beyond the areas receiving meaningful precipitation.

Isolated thundershowers are possible around Clinton today. Thunderstorm activity is also possible around Rocky Mountain House.

Lightning-caused fires can remain concealed in duff, roots or heavier fuels before becoming visible during subsequent warm and dry conditions.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Lightning occurring outside sustained rainfall

• New smoke appearing during afternoon heating

• Clusters of new fire starts

• Thunderstorm outflow winds

• Holdover fires becoming visible Thursday or Friday

• Competition for Initial Attack resources

Here’s why it matters:

Rain can improve conditions where it reaches the ground, but thunderstorms can simultaneously introduce new ignition potential.

Indicators should be understood as conditions to monitor, not predictions that a wildfire will occur.

────────────────────────────────────────

GRASS AND HUMAN ACTIVITY

Here’s what we know:

By late July, exposed grass and other fine fuels can ignite and spread fire quickly even where surrounding forest fuels retain more moisture.

Roadside ignitions, machinery, recreational activity, target shooting, fireworks and improperly extinguished campfires remain preventable sources of wildfire.

The approaching long weekend may increase travel and recreation across both provinces.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• Roadside and railway ignitions

• Equipment operating in cured grass

• Sparks from trailers, chains and machinery

• Recreation in areas with active restrictions

• Fireworks and prohibited burning

• Increased public traffic through evacuation and suppression areas

Here’s why it matters:

Fine-fuel fires can develop quickly and threaten nearby structures before a larger forest fire develops.

Human-caused starts also draw crews and aircraft away from existing incidents.

────────────────────────────────────────

RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS

Here’s what we know:

Category 1 campfires remain prohibited throughout the:

• Kamloops Fire Centre

• Cariboo Fire Centre

• Southeast Fire Centre

Category 2 and Category 3 open fires are also prohibited throughout these fire centres.

Within the Coastal Fire Centre:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the fire centre.

• Category 1 campfires are prohibited in part of the fire centre but remain permitted in specified northern and coastal forest districts.

Category 2 open fires are prohibited throughout the Northwest Fire Centre. Other prohibitions vary by fire zone and category.

Alberta restrictions continue to vary by municipality, forest area, park and local jurisdiction. A Fire Advisory remains in effect in the Calgary Forest Area according to the latest official update.

No major new province-wide prohibition scheduled to take effect within the next 72 hours was identified during this morning’s review.

Here’s what we’re watching:

• New restrictions associated with Thursday and Friday’s heat

• Local restrictions that exceed provincial rules

• Alberta Fire Advisory, restriction or ban changes

• Long-weekend recreation and ignition potential

Here’s why it matters:

Fire restrictions are location-specific.

Anyone considering a campfire, outdoor burn, fireworks or spark-producing activity should check the rules for the exact destination immediately before proceeding.

────────────────────────────────────────

HOMEOWNER IMPLICATIONS

For residents under Evacuation Order:

• Leave immediately using the route directed by the responsible authority.

• Do not delay departure to activate sprinklers, move machinery or perform last-minute property work.

• Take identification, medications, essential documents and communication devices.

• Follow official instructions regarding livestock, trailers and road access.

For residents under Evacuation Alert:

• Confirm that your exact property is within or outside the mapped area.

• Keep vehicles fuelled and positioned for departure.

• Prepare transportation for pets, livestock and anyone requiring assistance.

• Confirm primary and alternate routes.

• Test pumps, generators and private water systems while time and conditions allow.

• Move easily transported combustible materials away from structures only where it remains safe.

For residents outside evacuation areas:

• Confirm current local restrictions before outdoor work or recreation.

• Clear dry debris from decks, gutters and the immediate area around structures.

• Check hoses, pumps, generators and rooftop systems before they are urgently needed.

• Avoid activities that can create sparks in dry grass or fine fuels.

These actions improve readiness. They are not predictions and cannot guarantee structure survival.

────────────────────────────────────────

WHAT CHANGED SINCE YESTERDAY

The most significant escalation:

• Planned evacuation escalation around Pear Lake and the wider Big Bar environment became active Evacuation Orders affecting 70 Mile House, Meadow Lake Road, Rose Road, Clinton-Loon Lake Forest Service Road and surrounding areas.

Additional evacuation changes:

• New or updated Cariboo Alerts were listed for Bowers Lake, French Bar Fire Area 3 and Fiftynine Creek–Pear Lake Fire Area 2.

Continuing operational concerns:

• French Bar remains under Evacuation Order.

• Felker Fire Area 2 remains under Evacuation Order.

• Multiple Alerts remain active across the Cariboo.

• Boston Bar and surrounding communities remain within an active evacuation environment.

• Highway 1 remains closed through the Boston Bar wildfire area.

• Alberta continues to list no Wildfires of Note.

Continuing improvements:

• The Central Okanagan remains without wildfire-related Evacuation Orders or Alerts.

• Recent rainfall continues to support Low or Moderate wildfire danger across several northern Alberta forest areas.

────────────────────────────────────────

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING NEXT

• Evacuation boundaries around Clinton and 70 Mile House

• Highway 97 access and any new transportation restrictions

• French Bar, Felker and Fiftynine Creek evacuation changes

• Highway 1 reopening through Boston Bar

• Boston Bar and North Bend essential-service reliability

• New lightning and holdover-fire detections

• The Thursday–Friday heat and drying trend

• Wind accompanying the warmest temperatures

• New BC or Alberta Wildfires of Note

• Newly affected communities or First Nations jurisdictions

• Confirmed structure, utility, rail or communications impacts

• Any restrictions scheduled to take effect within the next 72 hours

────────────────────────────────────────

STRUCTURE DEFENCE TAKEAWAY

Here’s what we know:

Today’s most important development is the expansion of active Evacuation Orders across the Clinton and 70 Mile House wildfire environment.

The Cariboo and Fraser Canyon also remain operationally significant because of multiple evacuation areas, difficult access, infrastructure exposure and overlapping jurisdictions.

Alberta currently has no Wildfires of Note and has seen meaningful improvement across several northern forest areas. However, Very High danger remains in the latest official updates for the Calgary and Rocky Mountain House forest areas.

Here’s what we’re watching:

The next phase will be shaped by evacuation-boundary changes, highway access, lightning and holdover fires, and how existing incidents respond as temperatures rise toward Thursday and Friday.

Here’s why it matters:

Wildfire conditions are rarely uniform.

Rain and cooler temperatures can improve suppression opportunities in one region while active evacuation boundaries expand in another.

The appropriate response is calm, location-specific readiness guided by the authority responsible for the exact community or property.

Wildfire resilience starts before wildfire arrives.

────────────────────────────────────────

SOURCES

• BC Wildfire Service and BC Wildfire Dashboard (BC Wildfire Service)

• EmergencyInfoBC (Emergency Info BC)

• Thompson-Nicola Regional District evacuation information (Emergency Info BC)

• Cariboo Regional District evacuation information (Emergency Info BC)

• Fraser Valley Regional District and Boston Bar First Nation evacuation information (Emergency Info BC)

• Regional District of Central Okanagan emergency information (Emergency Info BC)

• DriveBC (DriveBC)

• BC Wildfire Service fire prohibitions and restrictions (BC Government Blog)

• Alberta Wildfire and Alberta Wildfires of Note (Alberta.ca)

• Alberta forest-area wildfire updates (Alberta.ca)

• Alberta Fire Bans (Alberta Fire Bans)

• Current regional weather information