Kullagh Creek Fire Contained
A significant development in the Kamloops area is the status of the Kullagh Creek wildfire, located near Highway 5A at the north end of Stump Lake. The fire was discovered on Tuesday morning and grew rapidly, reaching an estimated 149 hectares by 5:50 p.m. PT on Tuesday. At that time, the fire was burning out of control, prompting the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) to order one property to evacuate and issue alerts for 30 others in Electoral Area J, also known as Copper Desert Country.
However, by noon on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, the Kullagh Creek fire was classified as being held. The evacuation order for the single property was downgraded to an alert, though the local state of emergency remains in place. This status allows local authorities to exercise emergency powers, including prohibiting travel or entering private property if necessary. Seventy-one firefighting personnel, along with heavy equipment and aerial support, had been deployed to the scene during the active growth phase. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Relief Efforts Pivot to South Okanagan
With the immediate threat in the Kamloops vicinity stabilizing, part of the relief infrastructure established there has been redirected to the South Okanagan. Samaritan’s Purse, a charity providing post-disaster relief, has transferred its operations from Kamloops to Penticton. This move responds to the mass evacuation of Summerland early on Saturday, where hundreds of residents were told to gather in Penticton.
“That’s where the number one need is right now,” said Bill Sarai, the Deputy Mayor for August in Kamloops. He noted that the British Columbia government’s Emergency Management Climate Readiness team had requested additional assistance for evacuation facilities and recovery coordination in the South Okanagan. The charity has mobilized staff to support these coordinated initiatives and has begun a recovery consultation to aid community rebuilding efforts.
Kamloops Expands Local Support
Despite the shift in charitable operations, the City of Kamloops is not reducing its local support capacity. The city has expanded its Emergency Support Services (ESS) reception centre to include lodging at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre. While initially established to assist evacuees from the Boston Bar area, the facility is now supporting individuals displaced from multiple communities affected by wildfire activity across the province, including the entire community of Clinton.
Sarai indicated that the city has secured hotel rooms to ensure all displaced individuals are lodged. “We’ve got everybody lodged that we need to,” he stated. The city also maintains temporary overnight sheltering at MacArthur Island, where over 100 beds were established when wildfires in the South Cariboo region forced residents from the Village of Clinton to leave their homes.
Infrastructure Restoration in Clinton
Progress is also being made in the South Cariboo region, specifically in the Village of Clinton. The restoration of power to the village core by early Friday evening and to outlying areas to the west by shortly before 1 p.m. on Saturday is a critical step toward normalcy. This restoration is expected to allow the village to reactivate its water treatment units for both potable and waste water, provided that no significant damage was sustained by the fire itself.
Officials have not yet lifted evacuation orders for Clinton, but the restoration of essential utilities suggests that residents may soon be able to return to their areas. Sarai noted that some people are already beginning to go back into their areas, signaling a gradual transition from emergency evacuation to long-term recovery.
The shifting nature of wildfire threats in British Columbia continues to test the resilience of regional emergency management systems. While the Kullagh Creek fire has been held, the broader regional context remains fluid, with relief resources dynamically reallocated to match the evolving needs of affected communities. The next critical step for the South Okanagan will be the stabilization of evacuation facilities in Penticton, while Kamloops monitors the potential for localized evacuations and supports the return of residents in areas like Clinton as infrastructure permits.
