A councillor for Clinton, B.C., said Monday that sad stories were emerging from the southern Interior community where homes and other structures have been destroyed by wildfire, as authorities begin tallying the damage and the process of reaching out to homeowners.
A photograph provided by the BC Wildfire Service appeared to show most of the village intact on Monday, with smoke still shrouding the forested slopes surrounding the village, about 350 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.
But Nicolas Kosovic, who also operates the Stagecoach Cafe in Clinton with his mother Maria, said a number of properties had been lost south of the village where the fire behaviour “was quite severe.”
They include Steve’s Towing, whose owner Steve Larabie told The Canadian Press on Saturday that the business and two family homes on the property had been lost.
Kosovic, who fled the fire late Friday, declined to identify others and warned against relying on social media for information.
“I know everyone is speculating. Certainly, I was thinking about what happened to my house. My house was uninsured, so it’s just like if I’m going to lose everything, I’m going to know,” he added.
Kosovic said he had received word Monday morning that “as of last night, my house is still standing.”
Clinton Mayor Roland Stanke said an assessment crew would be in the village on Monday and Tuesday would survey the extent of the destruction.
“If there is damage to your property you will be personally contacted, hopefully before you see misinformation posted on Facebook,” he said in a social media post.
“There are smoldering embers still everywhere that can flare up a few days after a fire has gone through causing structural fires.”
Stanke said water was being turned back on for residents who “chose to defy the evacuation order” but it would have to be boiled before drinking, while BC Hydro crews were doing checks before restoring power, and there were still downed power lines.
A statement from the village thanked more than 15 members of the Clinton fire department who have stayed behind and worked “tirelessly” to protect the community.
Firefighters had divided the village into quadrants and were conducting continuous patrols to extinguish any spot fires, it said, and structure protection personnel with the BC Wildfire Service also remained in Clinton.
The complex of fires threatening Clinton and surrounding areas continues to burn out of control, with the Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek blazes merging over the weekend to span more than 630 square kilometres.
Residents of 70 Mile House, B.C., were told to leave their homes on Monday in an expanded evacuation order from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District that now covers about 650 properties on both sides of Highway 97.
That’s in addition to properties in Clinton, where officials issued an evacuation order Friday as flames roared to the outskirts of the community.
Village officials have said most of Clinton’s residential area survived.
The BC Wildfire Service hadn’t posted any photos of the Clinton area since last Thursday, the day before the wildfire surged, but on Monday it shared several.
One of the latest photos, dated Monday, showed residential areas in the village itself appeared intact, although the whole community wasn’t visible.
This handout still image from a video shot on Saturday, July 25, 2026, shows the smouldering aftermath of the Pear Lake wildfire that swept towards Clinton, B.C., a day earlier.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Facebook, Joey Johnson (Mandatory Credit)
Firefighters and structure protection personnel remained in the village on Monday, the BC Wildfire Service said in an update posted online.
It said a guard had been established at the southeast corner of Clinton, while crews were working on another barrier between the village and the fire’s edge.
“Heavy equipment resources will begin developing containment lines farther out from the fire in order to get ahead of the rapid fire growth and behaviour that we are seeing,” the service said.
Online fundraisers for Clinton residents said to have lost their homes in the fire have started to emerge on social media, although none of those involved immediately agreed to interviews.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued an evacuation order for two properties later Monday due to another blaze, the Rim Lake wildfire, burning to the east of the combined Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek blaze.
The roughly 250-square-kilometre French Bar Creek fire also continues to burn to the northwest.
The blazes are among about 130 wildfires in B.C., with more than 50 burning out of control.
Air-quality warnings due to wildfire smoke remain in effect for much of B.C.’s central and southern Interior as well as the Prince George and Fort St. John areas.
Kosovic, who was in Kamloops with his mother and their cat, said he planned to meet with his best friend, who had lost his home to the flames.
“We’re going to be there for each other and support each other in this critical time,” said Kosovic.
“I think Clinton is quite resilient. It is a strong community,” he added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2026.
— By Nono Shen and Brenna Owen in Vancouver
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
