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Regional Wildfire Update: July 22, 2026

Posted:

Below is your regional wildfire update for July 22, with information from the BC Wildfire Service:

An Incident Management Team (IMT) has now assumed command of what is being named the Bootleg Complex.

N11020 – Matthew Creek

  • Effective 8:00 pm on July 19, 2026, an Evacuation ALERT has been issued for the City of Kimberley, including all properties within the municipal boundaries due to the Matthew Creek Wildfire. Details HERE
  • Estimated size - 567 ha
  • Resources: 2 initial attack crews, 1 unit crew, 6 helicopters, 16 pieces of heavy equipment and a structural protection unit. Learn more about wildfire resources by clicking HERE.
  • Fire activity remained subdued overnight with no substantial growth. The weather forecast is similar to yesterday. Fire activity is expected to pick up in the afternoon during the warmest/driest part of the day
  • Winds are expected to slowly start increasing between today and Saturday with an incoming cold front
  • Initial attack crews are working alongside a wildfire rehabilitation specialist to identify and establish routes for heavy equipment operations
  • Heavy equipment are reopening sections of the Mark Creek FSR and this work is continuing
  • Structure Protection personnel have completed triage of priority values to protect identified structures and infrastructure
  • Helicopters continue to support ground crews, bucketing to cool fire activity and moving crews and gear as needed

N10947 – Tower Creek #2 and N10944 – Tower Creek (Meachen Area)

  • Effective 8:00 pm on July 19, 2026, an Evacuation ALERT has been issued for 66 properties in the St. Mary Lake Area (Electoral Area E) due to the Tower Creek Wildfires. Details HERE
  • (N10947) Estimated size - 250 ha
  • (N10944) Estimated size – 12 ha
  • Resources:  6 helicopters and a structural protection unit. Learn more about wildfire resources by clickingHERE.
  • Fire activity remained subdued overnight with no substantial growth. The weather forecast is similar to yesterday. Fire activity is expected to pick up in the afternoon during the warmest/driest part of the day
  • Winds are expected to slowly start increasing between today and Saturday with an incoming cold front
  • Work is underway using indirect attack strategies, where crews and resources establish control lines away from the fire's edge
  • An Initial attack crew and a wildfire rehabilitation specialist and are line locating for potential use of a hand-built fuel free line
  • Structure Protection has completed triage and will be deploying equipment to identified priority values in the St Mary Lake area and values immediately east and west of the lake
  • Heavy equipment has reopened sections of a deactivated FSR that will act as a control line
  • Helicopters will continue to support suppression activities bucketing to cool fire activity

N11036 – Calamity Creek (South of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park)

  • Estimated size - 70 hectares

N21071 – Jumbo Creek

  • Estimated size – 0.04 ha
  • This fire was discovered yesterday (July 20)

N11027 – Bootleg Mountain

  • This fire is currently listed as BEING HELD, meaning A wildfire that is projected, based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability, to remain within the current perimeter, control line or boundary

N10982 – Tower Creek #3 (Meachen Area)

  • This fire is Being Held

N10943 – Meachen Creek

  • This fire is Being Held

With two Evacuation Alerts in place in the Kimberley and St Mary area, it is important to be prepared in case an Evacuation Order is enacted while you are away from home. We encourage everyone to check in on their neighbours and lend a hand where they can. Reach out and lend a hand in helping them make a plan. If they have any mobility, transportation or health issues, encourage them to sign up in the vulnerable persons database by clicking HERE. 

Evacuation ALERT means PREPARE NOW

Be prepared and make a plan; view preparedness tips HERE.

The most current wildfire information is available at www.bcwildfire.ca