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Evacuation ORDER
Bald Range Wildfire
146 properties under order; about 374 people affected.
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, District of Summerland · 251 km from Vancouver · updated 2026-08-29
198Active fires
65Out of control
78Being held
1353Season total
426,233Hectares burning
2Vancouver AQHI
11:30Updated (PDT)
As of August 31, 2026 (UTC), BC Wildfire Service open data shows 198 active wildfires in British Columbia — 65 out of control, 78 being held — burning roughly 426,233 hectares, out of 1353 fires recorded this season. The largest active fire, Pear Lake, covers about 166,112 hectares. Server data refreshes about every 30 minutes.
Where is the live BC wildfire map (bcfiremap) for 2026?
You are on it: fanvancouver.com/vancouver/bc-wildfires/ — a live map of active British Columbia wildfires from BC Wildfire Service open data (DataBC). Server refresh about every 30 minutes; the map re-checks while open. Current open-data snapshot: 198 active fires, 65 out of control.
How do I see active BC wildfires right now?
Scroll to the live map on this page, or open the machine-readable feed at /api/fv_fires.json. Always verify evacuations with EmergencyInfoBC and official BC Wildfire status — we republish open data for travellers and do not issue orders.
Is this the same as the provincial fire map?
We plot the same public current-fires layer used by provincial dashboards, plus visitor context (smoke, roads, safety). For government-only portals start at BC Wildfire status.
For journalists & editors — live BC fire numbers
Canonical page: fanvancouver.com/vancouver/bc-wildfires/
Machine-readable feed (same open-data layer as the map): /api/fv_fires.json — refreshed about every 30 minutes from the BC Wildfire Service / DataBC current-fires layer. Always re-check BC Wildfire status and EmergencyInfoBC before publishing.
Related on FanVancouver: province fire map · smoke & air quality · fire bans · wildfire hub · situation notes
Also: North America maps · USA live map · Canada hub
Official sources we use (always verify)
- BC Wildfire Service status — incident list & fire of note
- DataBC open maps — current fire points (this map’s feed)
- EmergencyInfoBC — evacuation orders & alerts
- DriveBC — road closures & conditions
- FireSmoke.ca — smoke forecast
- Environment Canada AQHI (BC) — air quality
FanVancouver is an independent visitor guide. Legal evacuation status and road bans come only from the agencies above. Fire counts on this page come from the BC Wildfire Service (DataBC open data) and refresh about every 30 minutes — the live figure is the one in the summary above.
Live
Evacuations & official bulletins · updated 31 August 2026, 18:31 UTC
Evacuation orders and alerts in BC right now
Across British Columbia, 10 wildfires currently have evacuation orders attached to them and 12 have orders or alerts of some kind. Adding up the official polygons: about 221 properties are under an order — meaning leave now — and a further 1,038 are on alert, meaning be ready to leave within minutes. Roughly 689 people are inside the ordered areas.
Numbers come straight from the province's Emergency Order and Alert Areas layer, the same dataset the official dashboard draws from, and refresh here about every half hour. An order is not advice — you leave. An alert means bags packed, vehicle fuelled, pets and documents by the door. What to do, in order is further down this page.
Ordered by properties under evacuation order. Full list and the exact boundary of every order: EmergencyInfoBC · BC Wildfire Service dashboard. If your address is inside an order, the regional district — not this page — is the authority.
Biggest fires burning right now
These eight fires alone cover about 377,378 hectares — roughly 33× the land area of the City of Vancouver. Distance is straight-line from downtown Vancouver, so a fire 150 km away can still be a five-hour detour by road.
| Fire | Size | Status | Cause | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pear LakeE of Pear Lake | 166,111 ha | Fire of Note | Lightning | 211 km |
| Ainslie Creek | 67,722 ha | Fire of Note | Human-caused | 141 km |
| French Bar Creek | 61,628 ha | Out of Control | Under investigation | 228 km |
| Bonanza Creek | 34,985 ha | Out of Control | Lightning | 196 km |
| Bald Range | 25,163 ha | Being Held | Under investigation | 237 km |
| Brunswick Creek | 9,266 ha | Out of Control | Human-caused | 138 km |
| Border 2Hozomeen Mountain | 6,277 ha | Out of Control | Lightning | 156 km |
| Lessard Lake5.3km NE of Lessard Lake | 6,224 ha | Out of Control | Lightning | 410 km |
Sizes are the BC Wildfire Service's own estimates and are re-measured from the air, so a number that doubles overnight usually means the fire was mapped properly, not that it doubled. “Being held” means it is not expected to grow past existing control lines under current conditions — not that it is out. Tap a fire name for the official incident page.
Official bulletins
Bulletins and photographs republished from the BC Wildfire Service and BC Gov News under the Open Government Licence – British Columbia. © Province of British Columbia.
Latest coverage
- More Bald Range evacuation orders lifted as Faulder access restrictions ease — Castanet · 22h ago
- More evacuation orders and alerts lift near Clinton-area wildfire — CFJC Today Kamloops · 1d ago
- 2026 British Columbia Wildfires — Canadian Red Cross · 1d ago
- Last evacuation order lifted for Ainslie Creek wildfire in B.C. — unpublished.ca · 1d ago
- UPDATE: Evacuation order partially lifted in Bald Range wildfire area near Summerland — Penticton Western News · 1d ago
- B.C. regional district lifts last of its evacuation orders for Ainslie Creek wildfire — CBC · 1d ago
- TNRD partially downgrades Pear Lake wildfire evacuation response — CFJC Today Kamloops · 1d ago
- Evacuation orders, alerts downgraded within Thompson-Nicola for Ainslee Creek wildfire — Merritt Herald · 1d ago
- Evacuation orders, alerts downgraded in response to Ainslie Creek fire between Highways 1 and 5 — Today in BC · 1d ago
- TNRD and Coldwater Indian Band downgrade evacuation response near Ainslie Creek wildfire — CFJC Today Kamloops · 2d ago
Headlines link straight to the publisher. FanVancouver is an independent visitor guide, not an emergency broadcaster — in a life-safety situation follow BC Emergency Alerts on your phone and your regional district, not a website.
If you searched “BC fire map” or bcfiremap
This page is the visitor-facing BC fire map: live counts, evacuation orders, the eight largest fires, smoke/AQHI and highway context, refreshed about every 30 minutes from the same open data the province uses. The official incident dashboard (pins, perimeters, fire of note pages) is wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/map. Use that if you need the exact polygon for an address; use this page if you need the visitor version — can I drive to Kelowna, is Vancouver smoky, is a campfire legal.
Live
Air Quality Health Index · Environment Canada · observed 11 am · 31 August
Fire season moves faster than any booking policy. If your dates fall inside an active season, the practical protection is not insurance — it is a room you can cancel for free the day before: refundable rates on Expedia.ca →Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Wildfire smoke & air quality in BC right now
Vancouver right now
2
Low risk
Ridge hikes, Grouse and the Chief are fine today — air is not the limiting factor.
Worst air in BC
2
Vancouver (North West)
Anything at 7 or above means people with asthma, heart conditions, young children and seniors should cut outdoor time — not just athletes.
Vancouver is reading 2 — low risk — and the provincial high is 2 at Vancouver (North West). Smoke is widespread today rather than pinned to one valley. The forecast keeps Vancouver at or below 2 for the next 24 hours.
Vancouver (North West)Low risk2
Fraser Valley (Chilliwack / Hope)Low risk2
NanaimoLow risk2
Vancouver (South West)Low risk2
VictoriaLow risk2
Comox ValleyLow risk1
Sparwood / Elk ValleyLow risk1
Fort St. JohnLow risk1
DuncanLow risk1
Victoria (WestShore)Low risk1
Penticton / OsoyoosLow risk1
KamloopsLow risk1
Fraser Valley (Abbotsford)Low risk1
Vancouver (North East)Low risk1
CranbrookLow risk1
SmithersLow risk1
Vancouver (South East)Low risk1
Williams LakeLow risk1
Prince GeorgeLow risk1
KelownaLow risk1
VernonLow risk1
CastlegarLow risk1
WhistlerLow risk1
TerraceLow risk1
KitimatLow risk1
QuesnelLow risk1
SquamishLow risk1
Scale: 1–3 low · 4–6 moderate · 7–10 high · 10+ very high. Readings are the hourly AQHI observation published by Environment and Climate Change Canada for each reporting community; anything above 10 is reported as 10+. Values refresh here about every half hour. Full provincial table: Environment Canada AQHI · smoke plume forecast: FireSmoke Canada. Indoor and rainy-day alternatives: Vancouver bad-weather playbook.
Full Okanagan camping closure guide (Westside / Fintry / Bear Creek) →
📰 BC wildfire news digest + shareable story →
Out of Control
Being Held
Under Control
⭐ Fire of note (official interest)
Source: BC Wildfire Service (DataBC). Marker size scales with reported hectares. Click a marker for status, size, cause and official incident link when available. Map © OpenStreetMap. This page is an independent FanVancouver tool — not the government dashboard.
Fires of note (auto)
Pulled from the live feed when the province flags them.
- Loading…
Official links (bookmark these)
- firesmoke.ca — 12h smoke animation
- Environment Canada AQHI
- DriveBC — road closures
- Fire bans & restrictions
- BC Wildfire Service map
- EmergencyInfoBC
Visitor safety — what to do (in order)
Priority: Official alerts beat this page. If Alert Ready / local emergency notices say evacuate or avoid an area, follow them. FanVancouver summarises open data for trip planning — we do not issue evacuation orders.
- Scan the map for your corridor — Sea-to-Sky, Interior highways, Island approaches. Note Out of Control and ⭐ fires of note near overnight stops.
- Roads next — open DriveBC before you commit to a long day. Closures and delays change faster than blogs.
- Air quality before hikes — check AQHI the same morning. Poor air → cut ridge days; keep city / indoor anchors. See indoor / bad-air playbook.
- Smoke forecast — firesmoke.ca shows how plumes may move over the next hours.
- Campfires — bans are common in peak season. Read campfires near Vancouver and fire bans explained, then verify the live prohibition page before any flame.
- Health basics — limit outdoor exertion when air is poor; keep windows closed if indoor air is cleaner; sensitive groups should be conservative. This is trip guidance, not medical advice.
- Report smoke / fire — 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 (mobile). Life threat: 911.
Stay22 · live rates
Where to stay in Vancouver
Smoke sits differently in different neighbourhoods — the West End and Kitsilano catch the ocean breeze first. Compare live hotel and rental rates on the map, and take a room with air conditioning.
🏨 Hotels and rentals on one map💵 Live nightly prices📍 See what is actually walkable
How this affects a Vancouver stay
City days
Urban Vancouver almost never faces direct flame. Smoky days mean haze, orange sunsets, and harder breathing on hills — not an automatic cancel. Pivot with Today and Tonight.
Mountain & Island days
Views die first. If AQHI is high, skip long exposed ridges. Ferry + west-coast plans still need bans + smoke checks — start from the BC Cities hub.
Road trips
Treat DriveBC as mandatory. A fire “far from Vancouver” can still close the only highway to your cabin. Have a Plan B overnight in a larger town.
Status words — without the panic
- Out of Control — expected to grow; crews may still be working the fire.
- Being Held — not expected to grow under forecast conditions.
- Under Control — containment lines expected to hold.
- Fire of note — elevated public interest (size, location, threat to values) — open the official incident link on the marker.
Wildfire risk by region — where fires burn vs where you're going
Metro Vancouver & Sea-to-Sky
Direct fire risk to the city is very low; the story here is smoke drift and occasional bluff or interface fires near Squamish and Lions Bay. The Sea-to-Sky highway rarely closes for fire, but check DriveBC on high-wind smoky days before committing to Whistler or Squamish.
Vancouver Island & Tofino
The wet west coast burns least. Even in bad Interior years, Tofino and Ucluelet often stay clear — island trips are the classic smoke escape. Mid-island lakes country can still see local fires; ferry routes themselves are essentially never smoke-cancelled.
Okanagan & Interior
This is where BC's headline fires usually burn — and as of early August 2026 the Westside Road / Bear Creek–Fintry approach from Kelowna plus the Kamloops–Vernon corridor have been among the highest-impact visitor disruptions — Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops corridors. July–August wine-country plans need a same-week check of the map above plus evacuation alerts. Highways 1, 5 and 97 are the ones that close.
Kootenays & the North
Remote fires here can burn for months and pump smoke provincewide without threatening any tourist town. Watch firesmoke.ca for where the plume goes — that matters more to your trip than the fire's dot on the map.
Reading air quality like a local (AQHI)
BC uses the Air Quality Health Index. One number, checked each morning, tells you how hard to push outdoors:
| AQHI | Level | What it means for your day |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Low | Everything's on — Grouse Grind, ridge hikes, long rides. |
| 4–6 | Moderate | Fine for most people; sensitive groups shorten hard efforts. Views start to haze. |
| 7–10 | High | Swap summit days for city days. Short walks fine; skip sustained cardio outside. |
| 10+ | Very high | Indoor day. Museums, food halls, aquarium — see the Plan B below. |
Check the live number on Environment Canada's BC AQHI page — mornings are usually clearer than late afternoon on smoke days.
Evacuation Alert vs Order — and what happens to your booking
- Evacuation Alert = be ready to leave on short notice. Tourists should simply leave early — there's no upside to waiting it out in an alert zone with a rental car.
- Evacuation Order = leave now, by the routes officials give. Roads out are prioritized; your hotel will not charge you for fleeing an order (BC operators routinely waive fees in ordered zones — get it in writing by email).
- Bookings: call ahead rather than no-showing. Most BC hotels and campgrounds refund or move dates when an order or highway closure blocks access; provincial campgrounds refund automatically when parks close.
- Insurance: standard trip-interruption policies usually treat wildfire closures as a covered event, but smoke alone (no closure) typically isn't — check your policy wording before claiming.
Smoky-day Plan B in Vancouver
Smoke events in Metro Vancouver usually last one to three days until the wind shifts. You don't need to cancel — you need a pivot list:
- Go indoor-first: the rainy-day playbook works exactly the same for smoke — museums, markets, breweries, aquarium.
- Eat your way through it: food guide, Japanese spots, brewery crawl — zero AQHI exposure.
- Save the views: shift mountain days and hikes to the back of your itinerary; smoke forecasts beyond ~48h are guesses.
- Escape west: if smoke settles in for days, the Island run — Victoria or Tofino — is the reliable clear-air move.
The season at a glance
- April–June: season officially starts; early grass fires in the Interior. Coast is green and wet — negligible visitor impact.
- July: risk builds through the month; campfire bans typically arrive. Smoke days in Vancouver possible but usually brief.
- August: statistical peak — most "fires of note," most smoke events, most highway disruptions. Build flexibility into Interior road trips.
- September: tapering; first fall rains usually end coastal smoke by mid-month. Often the sweet spot: warm, clear, uncrowded.
- October–March: effectively no wildfire factor for Vancouver trips.
📰 Journalists & bloggers: embed this map free
Newsrooms and travel blogs may embed the live map free of charge — it self-updates every 30 minutes from BC Wildfire Service open data. Copy-paste:
<iframe src="https://fanvancouver.com/widgets/fire-map/" width="100%" height="480" style="border:0;border-radius:12px" loading="lazy" title="Live BC wildfire map"></iframe>
Attribution is built into the widget. Questions or custom sizes: contact us.
Smaller footprint? The live AQHI badge (Vancouver air quality now + worst-in-BC), same free terms:
<iframe src="https://fanvancouver.com/widgets/aqhi/" width="360" height="190" style="border:0;border-radius:12px" loading="lazy" title="Vancouver air quality AQHI live"></iframe>
What this live map is (and is not)
This page is a visitor-facing layer over provincial open data: active wildfire points, status language, and practical links for smoke, roads, and campfire rules. It is not a substitute for Alert Ready, EmergencyInfoBC, or local authority evacuation orders. If you are under an evacuation alert or order, follow official instructions only.
Critical warnings for travellers
- Do not drive toward smoke plumes “for photos.” Visibility can collapse in minutes; roadside stops create multi-vehicle pile-ups.
- Highway closures change fast — always re-check DriveBC the morning you depart and before mountain passes.
- Air quality — use Environment Canada AQHI and firesmoke.ca. Sensitive groups should cut outdoor exertion on high-risk days.
- Campfires / open flame — prohibitions can be province-wide or by fire centre. Read BC fire bans and campfires near Vancouver before any fire, stove category, or beach flame.
- Drones near active firefighting are illegal and can ground aircraft. Leave the airspace alone.
- Grey-market “fire tours” and social rumours about evacuations are not sources. Use official maps and alerts.
How to read statuses (plain language)
Out of Control means the fire is expected to continue growing beyond current boundaries under present conditions — not that Vancouver is burning. Being Held means growth is not expected under current conditions. Under Control means containment lines are expected to hold. “Fire of Note” flags public-interest fires (size, proximity to communities, smoke, or values at risk).
Metro Vancouver vs Interior fires
Most active fires burn far from downtown Vancouver. What occasionally reaches the city is smoke, which can still cancel ridge hikes, degrade sunset views, and bother lungs. For day trips (Whistler, Sea-to-Sky, Fraser Valley, Okanagan), check both this map and road/air tools — a clear morning in Kitsilano does not guarantee clear air at elevation inland.
Official sources we align with
- BC Wildfire Service status
- EmergencyInfoBC
- DriveBC
- AQHI British Columbia
- Report a wildfire: 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 · Emergency: 911
Data snapshot used for on-page counts: active=198, season_total=1353, updated=2026-08-31T18:30. Counts on the stat chips update from /api/fv_fires.json in the browser.
FAQ
Is Vancouver itself on fire?
Almost never. Most active fires burn in the Interior, north, and remote forests. What usually reaches Metro Vancouver is smoke on some summer/early-autumn days when winds align.
Where does this map’s data come from?
The same BC Wildfire Service / DataBC open current-fires layer used by the provincial dashboard. Our server refreshes about every 30 minutes; this page re-checks while open about every 10 minutes.
What does “Out of Control” mean?
A suppression status: the fire is expected to continue growing beyond current boundaries. It is not an automatic order to leave Vancouver. “Being Held” = growth not expected; “Under Control” = containment lines are holding.
Should I cancel my BC road trip?
Usually no — but always check DriveBC for closures, firesmoke.ca / AQHI for air, and official evacuation alerts if you are driving near active fire zones. Smoke can make mountain views worthless even when roads are open.
What should I do on a smoky day in the city?
Check AQHI first. Cut long ridge hikes. Prefer indoor museums, markets, and short seawall walks. Sensitive groups (kids, elders, asthma): reduce outdoor exertion; a well-fitted respirator helps some people outdoors.
Are there wildfires near Vancouver right now?
Check the live map at the top of this page — it shows every active fire from BC Wildfire Service data, refreshed about every 30 minutes. Most seasons, fires stay well outside Metro Vancouver; smoke, not flame, is what occasionally reaches the city.
When is wildfire season in BC?
Officially April through October. For visitors the window that matters is mid-July to early September, when fire activity and smoke events peak. September trips usually dodge the worst of it; October onward is a non-issue.
Will smoke affect my flight from YVR?
Very rarely. YVR operates normally through typical smoke events; visibility-related delays are uncommon and brief. Small floatplane and regional flights (harbour-to-harbour, Tofino) are more sensitive — check with the operator on heavy-smoke days.
How do I report a wildfire?
Call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a mobile in B.C. — free, 24/7. For life-threatening emergencies dial 911.
Where is the official BC fire map?
The provincial authority is BC Wildfire Service. This FanVancouver page plots the same open current-fires layer for visitors, with safety context. Always prefer official dashboards and Alert Ready during emergencies. Active count on our last server refresh: 198 (65 out of control). Numbers update about every 30 minutes from BC Wildfire open data.
How many active wildfires are in BC right now?
Our live feed currently shows 198 active fires (updated 2026-08-31T18:30). The number changes through the day — use the map chips at the top of this page for the freshest client-side refresh.
Is there a BC wildfire smoke map?
For smoke plumes and forecasts use firesmoke.ca and Environment Canada AQHI. Our wildfire map shows fire locations; smoke tools show air quality impact for hikers and city visitors.
What should I pack for a smoky BC summer trip?
Flexible indoor plans, N95/KN95 if you are sensitive, eye drops, extra water, and offline maps in case of cellular congestion near incidents. Build buffer days into road trips that cross the Interior in July–September.
Independent FanVancouver guide · Updated 2026-08-31 · Stock hero imagery for atmosphere; live positions come only from BC Wildfire Service open data · Sources · Campfires · Fire bans
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Who writes this
FanVancouver is written and run by one person — Alex, in Vancouver, British Columbia. I moved here from Ukraine, stayed, and have been writing this site since 2024. There is no newsroom behind it and no tourist board paying for the copy.
This page is not typed by hand: it rebuilds from official sources — BC Wildfire Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, DriveBC and TransLink — and every figure carries its observation time. When a source goes quiet, the page says that too, instead of showing a stale number as if it were current.
Newsweek cited the wildfire count from this page on 10 August 2026 in its map of fires burning across the U.S. and Canada.
How the site is researched is set out on the about page. Something wrong, out of date or missing? Write to [email protected] — corrections get made.
