The Village of Clinton has been “preserved from major loss” even as the Pear Lake wildfire around the town grew overnight.
Clinton CAO Brian Doddridge posted a notice just after 10:30 a.m. on Saturday (July 25) thanking the Clinton Fire Department, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), and the many other responding departments for their “hard fight” overnight on July 24/25.
“As of this morning [Saturday] Clinton has been preserved from major loss,” he wrote, while noting that the fire still poses a threat to the community.
“While there are structure losses, the extent of the damage will need to be assessed once the danger has passed and property owners can be notified. The extent of the damage is in the south side of town in the industrial area.”
Doddridge adds that residents are encouraged not to speculate on the damage, as this can be very distressing to property owners.
Power is out in the Village, and will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so. Security is in place to assist the RCMP in keeping order, and to ensure that residents who stayed behind do not interfere with firefighting efforts.
There is an evacuee helpline number available for those who need assistance, at 1-800-387-4258. The Village of Clinton Emergency Operations Centre can be contacted at 250-377-6313. Evacuees in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) can call the TNRD’s EOC at 250-377-7188 (toll-free 1-866-377-7188).
More evacuation orders and alerts have been issued in response to the Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton, which forced the evacuation of that community and surrounding properties on Friday, July 24.
On Friday evening, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) put 12 addressed properties along Highway 97 south of Clinton, between Six Mile Lake and Loon Lake Road, on evacuation order. These properties were previously on evacuation alert.
In total, 131 addressed properties in TNRD Electoral Area “E” are now on evacuation order due to the Pear Lake fire. The evacuation order for the Village of Clinton covers nearly 500 addressed properties within Village boundaries.
The TNRD has also put properties on Highway 97 and Loon Lake Road on evacuation alert. The properties on Highway 97 are from the Loon Lake Road turnoff south to 16 Mile. Numbers 15 to 889 Loon Lake Road are also covered by the evacuation alert.
The newest alert brings to 107 the number of addressed properties on evacuation alert due to the Pear Lake fire, which was estimated at 4,472 hectares as of 8:45 a.m. on Saturday (July 25).
BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says that the Pear Lake fire exhibited “extreme” fire behaviour on Friday, crossing Kelly Lake Road west of Clinton and going north up the hillside. The majority of fire growth was to the east, where the fire crossed Highway 97 south of Clinton and continues to grow in a northerly direction. The fire column development created its own weather system, which resulted in lightning over the area.
The fire also grew on the west and east sides of the Village of Clinton, and structure protection personnel and BCWS crews worked overnight in the village. On Saturday, crews and structure protection resources will be assessing the fire growth from Friday and overnight to determine achievable objectives.
The BCWS fire camp that had been located in Elliott Park west of Clinton on Kelly Lake Road has been evacuated. Crews and support staff have been repositioned in 99 Mile.
Winds on Saturday could gust as high as 30 km/hr, and further fire growth and an increase in fire activity is expected.
Highway 97 remains closed from Loon Lake Road north to Chasm, which is being impacted by the Fiftynine Creek wildfire. That fire — estimated at 16,724 hectares as of Saturday — has prompted the TNRD to issue an evacuation order covering 280 addressed properties and an evacuation alert covering 171 addressed properties in Area “E”.
There is no estimated time of reopening for Highway 97. Drivers should check DriveBC for the latest information, and plan to use alternative routes for the foreseeable future.
For information about the wildfire situation in the province, visit the BC Wildfire Service website.
For information about evacuation alerts and orders associated with the Pear Lake and Fiftynine Creek wildfires, visit the TNRD’s Emergency Services dashboard and EmergencyInfoBC.
If you are an evacuee, an Emergency Support Services (ESS) reception centre has been set up at the McArthur Island Sports Complex at 1655 Parkway in Kamloops. In order 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 has information about supports and services available for evacuees.