Fire crews work on containment lines between out-of-control blaze and Kimberley, B.C.

About 9,000 residents living in Kimberley, B.C., have been told to prepare for evacuation as wildfires in the area continue to burn out of control.

Firefighters in British Columbia are working to build containment lines between an out of-control wildfire and the city of Kimberley in the province’s southeast corner, where the entire community of more than 8,000 residents has been told to prepare for evacuation.

The BC Wildfire Service says it will be using heavy equipment to build the lines and block the fire that’s about 10 kilometres west of Kimberley.

The service says the blaze is in steep terrain making direct firefighting difficult and has grown to about six square kilometres since being detected on Saturday.

It’s among about 35 fires burning out of control in B.C., where a total of about 100 blazes were active as of late Monday.

A fire in the B.C. Interior has meanwhile triggered an evacuation order from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District for a handful of properties in Downing Provincial Park, including the campground.

The wildfire service said Monday that warming and drying conditions are expected to persist, elevating the chances for new wildfires.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2026.