Residents who live north of Cache Creek up to and including the Village of Clinton and some areas north, can return to their homes effective at 4:00pm on Tuesday, August 15.
The Thompson Nicola Regional District made the announcement which also includes residents that were on evacuation order along the Highway 97 and Highway 99 corridors today.
“Checkpoints will remain in place on roadways leading into this area until the Evacuation Order is lifted at 4:00 p.m. When the order is lifted at 4:00 p.m., it would be appreciated if travel is limited to local traffic only in the Highway 97 and 99 corridors to reduce traffic congestion for residents returning home,” says the TNRD.
While the Elephant Hill fire continues to remain active, residents must be prepared to leave at any time.
Properties in other areas of the TNRD that are currently on Evacuation Order due to the Elephant Hill fire continue to be assessed regularly to determine if any of these Orders can be downgraded to Alerts.
The Elephant Hill fire as of Tuesday morning is estimated at 168,092 hectares.
Over 700 personnel including night shifts are working on the blaze. Crews according to the BC Wildfire Service are in the process of trying to get into the areas where the fire expanded over the weekend.