Last updated July 22, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. MT · Maintained through the fire season by Team Rice, Royal LePage Rockies West Realty
**CURRENT STATUS — COLUMBIA VALLEY: No active wildfires. No evacuation alerts or orders.** Smoke drifting into the valley on some days. Lake Windermere and the beaches are open.
Smoky skies over the Columbia Valley, July 2026. The nearest active fires are roughly 100 km south, near Kimberley.
Are there wildfires near Invermere right now?
No. As of July 22, 2026, there are no wildfires burning in **Invermere, Windermere, Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs or Panorama Mountain Resort**.The one local start this season was a 0.1-hectare fire near Peters Hill just outside Invermere, reported July 15, 2026. BC Wildfire Service and Invermere Fire Rescue responded, and the fire was classified as *held* — not expected to grow — within days. It was believed to be human-caused.
Where the active fires actually are
The wildfires people are hearing about in the East Kootenay are near **Kimberley, roughly 100 kilometres south of Invermere**, with mountain terrain in between. More than 2,400 lightning strikes hit the Southeast Fire Centre after July 15, sparking around 38 new fire starts.- - **Matthew Creek** (N11020) — about 567 hectares — west of Kimberley
- - **Tower Creek #2** (N10947) — about 150 hectares — St. Mary Lake area
- - **Tower Creek** (N10944) — active — St. Mary Lake area
- - **Calamity Creek** — about 70 hectares — northwest of Kimberley, near Dewar Creek
All are lightning-caused and burning in steep, hazardous terrain that limits how safely ground crews can work. Aerial resources have been assigned.
Evacuation alerts and orders
**There are no evacuation orders anywhere in the Regional District of East Kootenay.**Two evacuation *alerts* are in effect, both issued at 8:00 p.m. on July 19, 2026:
- - **City of Kimberley** (all properties) — ALERT — Matthew Creek wildfire
- - **St. Mary Lake area**, 66 properties in RDEK Area E — ALERT — Tower Creek wildfires
- - **Premier Lake area** — rescinded July 15 — Lussier River wildfire
An **alert** means be ready to leave on short notice. An **order** means leave now. Neither alert covers any Columbia Valley community.
Smoke and air quality
The Province's July 21, 2026 air quality warning covers **East Kootenay (South)** — Kimberley, Cranbrook, Moyie, Wasa, Jaffray — and does **not** include East Kootenay (North), where Invermere sits.That said, smoke moves. Valley skies have been hazy, and sunsets have been running red. Smoke conditions change quickly over short distances and can vary hour by hour, so check current readings rather than relying on yesterday's.
If you have a lung or heart condition, are pregnant, are over 65, or are travelling with young children, reduce strenuous outdoor activity on smoky days and spend time indoors in a space with cleaner air.
Check it yourself — official sources
- BC Wildfire Service Dashboard** — active fires, sizes, status — wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca
- RDEK Alerts & Orders** — evacuation status for our region — rdek.bc.ca
- EmergencyInfoBC** — provincial emergency notices — emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca
- BC Air Quality Warnings** — smoke advisories by region — aqwarnings.gov.bc.ca
- DriveBC** — Highway 93/95 conditions and closures — drivebc.ca
- FireSmoke Canada** — 72-hour smoke forecast maps — firesmoke.ca
Common questions
Are there wildfires near Invermere BC right now?
No. As of July 22, 2026 there are no wildfires burning in Invermere, Windermere, Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs or Panorama Mountain Resort. A small 0.1-hectare fire near Peters Hill on July 15, 2026 was classified as held within days. The nearest active fires are about 100 km south near Kimberley.Is Invermere BC safe to visit during wildfire season?
Yes. There are no wildfires, evacuation alerts or evacuation orders affecting Invermere or any Columbia Valley community. Lake Windermere, Kinsmen Beach and James Chabot Beach are open. Smoke can drift in from fires elsewhere in the province, so visitors with lung or heart conditions should check air quality before planning strenuous outdoor activity.Is there an evacuation order in Invermere?
No. There are no evacuation orders anywhere in the Regional District of East Kootenay. Two evacuation alerts are in effect elsewhere in the region — the City of Kimberley and 66 properties in the St. Mary Lake area, both issued July 19, 2026. Neither is in the Columbia Valley.How close are the BC wildfires to the Columbia Valley?
The nearest significant wildfires are roughly 100 kilometres south of Invermere near Kimberley: Matthew Creek (N11020, about 567 hectares), the Tower Creek fires (N10944 and N10947), and Calamity Creek (about 70 hectares). All are lightning-caused and burning in steep terrain west and northwest of Kimberley.Is there smoke in Invermere right now?
Skies over the Columbia Valley have been hazy with periods of drifting wildfire smoke. The Province's July 21, 2026 air quality warning covers East Kootenay (South) — Kimberley and Cranbrook — but not East Kootenay (North), where Invermere is located. Smoke conditions change quickly and by the hour, so check the Air Quality Health Index for current readings.Are the Kimberley wildfires affecting Invermere?
Not directly. The Matthew Creek and Tower Creek fires are approximately 100 kilometres south of Invermere with mountain terrain between, and the evacuation alerts issued for them do not extend to the Columbia Valley. The main effect here is drifting smoke and reduced air quality on some days.Should I cancel my Invermere vacation because of wildfire smoke?
There is currently no wildfire threat to Invermere or any Columbia Valley community, and no travel restrictions are in place. Smoke may reduce visibility and air quality on some days. Most visitors adjust rather than cancel — swapping a strenuous hike for a lake day when smoke is heavy. Check the BC Wildfire Service dashboard and the Air Quality Health Index before you travel, and DriveBC for highway conditions.Where can I check wildfire status for the Columbia Valley?
Four official sources: the BC Wildfire Service dashboard for active fires and sizes; the Regional District of East Kootenay website for evacuation alerts and orders; EmergencyInfoBC for provincial emergency notices; and the provincial air quality warnings page for smoke advisories. Links to all four are above.Update log
- - July 22, 2026 — Page published. No fires in the Columbia Valley. Kimberley and St. Mary Lake remain on evacuation alert. Air quality warning covers East Kootenay South only.
Own a place in the valley, or thinking about it?
A smoky summer raises fair questions — about insurance, about FireSmart work, about what fire seasons mean for property here long term. We live in the Columbia Valley year-round, and we're happy to talk it through, whether or not you're buying or selling anything.
DK Rice and RT Rice
Royal LePage Rockies West Realty
Serving Invermere, Radium Hot Springs, Windermere, Fairmont Hot Springs and Panorama.
This page summarizes publicly available information from BC Wildfire Service, the Regional District of East Kootenay, EmergencyInfoBC and the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks. It is not an official emergency source. In an emergency, follow direction from local authorities and call 9-1-1. Always confirm current conditions with the official sources linked above.
