BC Wildfire Service braces for heat peak, warns of potential new starts

VANCOUVER — An incident commander for a complex of fires burning near Kimberley, B.C., says more resources are on the way to help firefighters battle the fires as heat peaks this week.

Hugh Murdoch says there are seven fires in the so-called Bootleg Complex, including two wildfires of note that have prompted evacuation alerts in the city.

He says there has been minimal growth on the fires in the past few days, crediting the work from the crews with “assistance from Mother Nature.”

But Murdoch says crews are expecting what he calls a “significant weather day” on Thursday, so they are looking to develop what he calls a “large water delivery system” using helicopters, noting that low streamflows are also posing a challenge.

His comments came as heat warnings were expanded over large swaths of B.C., which Environment Canada says were brought in by a ridge of high pressure that is moving across the province.

The weather office also issued air quality advisories covering much of the province due to smoke from more than 80 wildfires burning across the province.

The BC Wildfire Service says in its situational report that smoky skies are expected to continue, and may worsen in the northeastern and central regions.

It also warns that “warming and drying conditions” are expected to persist throughout this week.

“Increasing temperatures and limited precipitation will continue to reduce fuel moisture levels, elevating the potential for new wildfire starts,” it says.

One such fire ignited south of Boston Bar, B.C., on Tuesday and prompted the Fraser Valley Regional District to order any residents remaining in the community to leave immediately.

Residents of the small community 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver had already been ordered to leave due to fires burning to the west and northeast, but some had initially opted to stay behind.

But the order on Tuesday said the fire was out of control and spreading quickly, so anyone who had remained was in immediate danger.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2026.

The Canadian Press