Buildings destroyed as raging wildfire complex near Boston Bar, B.C., soars in size

BOSTON BAR – Buildings have been destroyed in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon as a raging wildfire complex burns, fanned by strong winds that have set off “explosive” growth. 

Video posted online by Shayne Findlay, the operator of Blue Lake Resort, shows structures left in charred ruins, although he says the main lodge was spared.

“That’s where the manager’s house was,” Findlay says as he points to a pile of smoking rubble.

Findlay then turns the camera to a blackened tree with a split in its trunk, flames still burning inside. “Let’s not stand next to that one,” he says in the video posted Wednesday.

Boston Bar resident Amanda Hagen picked up the phone at the Fraser Canyon Market on Thursday and said both wildfires have been growing on either side of the Fraser River.

To the north, Hagen said she could see the “glow” of the Ainslie Creek fire at night, while the Brunswick Creek fire was moving downslope towards the river.

“It looks from here like there are parts of it that almost have reached the river.”

The fire on the west side of the river had advanced “a fair distance” since Wednesday, said Hagen, whose home remained under evacuation alert, though she was monitoring in case of an upgraded order.

There were “lots” of firefighting personnel in the community, she said.

Overnight, the Fraser Valley Regional District upgraded an evacuation alert to an order to leave for about 40 properties.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District meanwhile issued an evacuation alert for about 61 properties, telling residents to be ready to leave on short notice, in the area near Prospect Creek.

Hundreds of properties in the Fraser Canyon area were already under evacuation orders and alerts as the two fires burn out of control.

The Ainslie Creek blaze has grown to an estimated 170 square kilometres in size, while the Brunswick Creek fire is measured at 26 square kilometres.

The combined size of the two fires, known as the Brunswick Complex, is up 72 per cent from the 114 square kilometres reported Wednesday.

Highway 1 remains closed just before the community of Boston Bar, where residents are subject to an evacuation alert. 

Julia Caranci, a fire information officer, said a combination of sustained winds, dry conditions, receptive fuels, and extremely steep terrain have combined on the fires for the last few days.

“So, what this has done is elevate fire behaviour and activity, especially in those later afternoon periods, when our temperatures are the highest and our relative humidity is the lowest,” she said. 

“When we have winds aligned with these very, very steep slopes, then we can see that type of explosive growth that we’ve seen, say, a couple of days ago on the Ansley Creek fire,” Carnanci said. 

More challenging days are ahead on the fire fight, with no rain in the forecast. 

Caranci said the response to the fire has shifted to a 24-hour-operation and the fight is well-resourced.

“So, needless to say, this is obviously a very critical time, and we are here, and these are top priority fires for us.” 

More than 200 firefighters are assigned to the Brunswick Complex, with support from 14 helicopters and about 60 structure protection personnel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2026.