B.C. wildfire tally surges past 100 as lightning transforms fire season in a flash

The wildfire season in British Columbia has been transformed in a flash, with lightning strikes sending the number of blazes burning in the province past 100.

One of those fires is the Signal Hill Wildfire, which on Saturday afternoon was burning about a kilometre away from Margit de Haan’s bed-and-breakfast in Pemberton, B.C., a community of around 3,600 people. 

An area south of Pemberton was ordered to evacuate while other parts remained on evacuation alert, and de Haan said she was ready if the order to leave came.

She said she wouldn’t unpack her emergency bag and suitcase until the area north of Whistler, B.C., gets real rain.

“I’m the last one who can leave the ship,” she said in an interview. “I’m captain of my place and unless all my guests are out of the house, I wouldn’t be leaving, and even if they were out, I would probably still not be leaving,” she said.

An update from the village said cooler temperatures, higher humidity and lighter winds have helped subdue the blaze, but it also warned of a warming and drying trend that will continue into next week.

An update from the BC Wildfire Service issued Friday also warned of more lightning strikes “and, in the coming days, more fire starts.”

On Wednesday morning, the province’s firefighters faced about 20 blazes in what had been a relatively quiet season. By Saturday afternoon, there were about 114 fires burning, including roughly 72 that started in the previous day.

Two-thirds of the fires were burning out of control and most new blazes, orders and alerts were concentrated in the southern B.C. Interior.

The service attributed a majority of the new fires to the 4,000 lightning strikes it said hit the province on Wednesday.

Attila Banhegyi remained unfazed after choosing to remain in his house in Boston Bar, B.C., near the Brunswick Creek fire, which was 40 square kilometres in size, and the Ainslie Creek fire, with an area of 160 square kilometres.

The community of around 160 people in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon was ordered to evacuate on Thursday, but Banhegyi said he stayed to look after his two businesses and animals, including 12 chickens.

Banhegyi said his wife and their two children, a three-year-old girl and a 3 1/2-month-old boy, left town the day before the evacuation order.

The local restaurant and gas station were still open, he said, as was the motel, which was housing the firefighting crews.

“It depends on the person, but the people who have stayed behind are in good spirits,” he said, noting conditions in his community were “nice and quiet” and he could hear birds chirping.

The most recent figures from BC Wildfire Service said about 575 properties across B.C. were subject to evacuation orders, with about 1,740 more on evacuation alert. It said about 399 people were receiving emergency support services.

Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said the wildfire service deployed more than 770 wildland firefighters as of Friday, and hundreds more were ready to go.

“To the communities dealing with the uncertainty and fear of an active wildfire, we are with you,” he said. 

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District listed two evacuation orders Saturday in connection with the Fiftynine Creek Wildfire, impacting 131 properties, and the French Bar Creek Wildfire, impacting two properties. 

The regional district also listed four evacuation alerts for various fires.  

Jim Smith, who represents the area threatened by Fiftynine Creek at the regional district, said the fire grew very quickly. 

It was only detected on Friday, but was soon listed at about 40 square kilometres.

“The wind is the enemy, and yesterday, the wind was howling basically through the South Cariboo,” Smith said in an interview Saturday.

“It wasn’t long in between the (evacuation) alert and the order,” he said. “The fire just roared right up to Big Bar Lake. So we are expecting that there is going to be structural loss, but we are not sure at this time.” 

Back in Boston Bar, Banhegyi estimated that somewhere between 40 and 50 per cent of residents remained behind despite the evacuation order.

“We have grown to be self-sufficient in many aspects,” he said. “So we like to exercise self-governance, and sometimes being told what to do in our local area by people who aren’t on the ground doesn’t necessarily align with our own values.” 

Banhegyi said his wife would prefer him to join the rest of the family.

“But she trusts me, and knows that I will be safe,” he said. 

The Cariboo Regional District, meanwhile, listed one evacuation order and two evacuation alerts for rural areas. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2026.