UPDATE 1:25 p.m.
Highway 97 is closed north of Cache Creek between Clinton Cemetery Road and Mound Road to facilitate the tactical evacuation in the area.
The situation will be reassessed at around 3 p.m. on Friday. A detour is available via Highways 1 and 24. Check DriveBC for updates.
ORIGINAL STORY
Evacuation orders have been issued for just under 600 residents of the Village of Clinton and for properties north and south of Clinton along Highway 97 due to the Pear Lake wildfire west of the community.
An evacuation alert has also been issued for properties along Highway 97 from north of Loon Lake Road to Six Mile Lake.
The Village of Clinton issued the evacuation order on Friday morning (July 24). It covers all properties within the Village of Clinton boundaries. The Village was last evacuated in 2017, when the Elephant Hill wildfire caused a 17-day evacuation from July 29 to Aug. 15.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has issued an evacuation order for 60 properties on Highway 97 north and south of Clinton.
The new order for Highway 97 comes after the TNRD issued an expanded evacuation order at 11 p.m. on Thursday (July 23) to cover a total of 58 properties on Pavilion-Clinton Road west of Clinton.
RCMP and staff are going door-to-door to alert all residents, in both Clinton and the TNRD, who are now under an evacuation order. Residents are being urged to leave as quickly as possible.
An Emergency Support Services (ESS) reception centre has been set up at the McArthur Island Sports Complex at 1655 Parkway in Kamloops.
To receive ESS support, evacuees can report to the Kamloops centre, or use the Evacuee Registration and Assistance tool at ess.gov.bc.ca, which also contains information about supports and services available to evacuees.
Highway 97 from Cache Creek to and through Clinton remains open at this time. However, the highway could close with little or no warning, so travellers should check DriveBC for current information.
Drivers should note that smoke might mean decreased visibility. Travellers should drive with caution and watch out for crews and equipment moving along the highway. Do not stop or slow down to take pictures or observe wildfire activity. The use of drones in the area of a wildfire is prohibited.
The Pear Lake wildfire was discovered on July 17, and as of the evening of July 23 was estimated at 3,185 hectares. It is suspected to have been lightning-caused.
BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says that on July 23 the fire was exhibiting Rank 4 fire behaviour along the east flank, meaning an organized flame front with intermittent crown fire and a fast rate of spread. Southwest winds were pushing the fire growth east into the valley.
On Friday (July 24), BCWS said that they were expecting slightly cooler temperatures than on Thursday, with relative humidity between 25-30 per cent. Winds were expected to be predominantly south to southwest, and an approaching cold front could bring an increase in winds over the coming days. Further fire growth and an increase in fire activity were expected throughout Friday, with more smoke likely to be observed in the following days, particularly in the afternoon and evening periods.
Fuels remain heavily impacted by drought throughout the area and are highly susceptible to increased fire behaviour. Crews will continue to be challenged by hot and dry conditions and challenging terrain on this fire.
Crews are working with heavy equipment along the power lines from Kelly Lake to the high voltage transmission lines to the east. Crews will construct guards and plumb hose lays along the line to limit the spread of fire into the valley.
A machine guard has been completed on the south flank from a scree slope above the train tracks towards the Pavilion-Clinton Road, and crews are creating hose lays along the southern guard. On the east flank, the fire has crossed the Pavilion-Clinton Road near the height of land and continues to burn to the east. Helicopters will continue to support ground crews throughout the day with bucketing.
Structure protection triage and set-up has been completed between Pear Lake and Kelly Lake, and crews are now working on triaging in the Clinton area. Structure protection triage means identifying the needs for apparatus and equipment in the event it needs to be implemented.
For information and maps pertaining to all evacuation orders and alerts issued by the TNRD, visit the TNRD’s Emergency Operations Centre dashboard.
For information about these fires, and all others currently active in the province, visit the BC Wildfire Service website.
For current and verified information about all evacuation orders and alerts issued around B.C., visit EmergencyInfoBC.