The Villagers of Clinton are being told they can begin returning home at 8 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, August 15.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District, under the advisement of the BC Wildfire Service, said in a webinar on Friday, August 13, that it will be downgrading the Evacuation Order, in place because of the threat of the Pear Lake Wildfire, to an Evacuation Alert starting at 8 a.m. on August 15.
The Ministry of Transportation will reopen Highway 97 through Clinton for local traffic only from 8 a.m. until around 12 p.m., and possibly reopen the highway for the rest of the province later in the day.
“When we look at how close the wildfire came to Clinton, it’s remarkable that our village is still standing, and that’s only because of the extra efforts by the BC Wildfire, the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department, and the firefighters and structure protection crews who worked around the clock to protect this community,” said the Village of Clinton Mayor, Roland Stanke, in the webinar.
“ They fought incredibly hard for Clinton under very difficult conditions, and we owe them our deepest gratitude.”
Mayor Stanke said that even with the “good news” on the ability to return home. He understands, and he wants others to understand the “devastating impact” the wildfire has done to many in the community, some who may not have homes to return to over the weekend.
“As we celebrate this important step for the village of Clinton, we’re also thinking of everyone across across our broader community that’s facing a much more difficult return. Something else we need to hear tonight, and going home does not mean everything is back to normal. You’re returning to a community that has been profoundly affected by a wildfire.”
The Jesmond, Big Bar Creek, and Kelly Lake areas along the west of Highway 97 and the Village remain under the Evacuation Order.
The district has Return to Home and Waste Disposal Information Packages available for residents that will help provide more detailed steps for their re-entry.
A Boil Water Advisory is in place for residents of Clinton, while the Water Main has been damaged and will take time to be flushed and repaired.
Residents are being asked to flush their water lines when they return home, and periodically while the advisory is in effect.
The Village of Clinton and the regional district say weather could affect the advisory’s status, as precipitation could bring in minerals and chemicals from the fire’s devastation and the BC Wildfire Service’s retardant solutions.
The advisory will remain in effect until the Village of Clinton provides updates through their communication channels and social media pages.
BC Hydro said in the webinar that the Village of Clinton has power and is energized. However, some individual homes may be without power because of damage from the fire. Residents are being told that if their home does not have power, to call BC Hydro to get their residence on a list of homes that need repairs.
The areas north of Clinton along Highway 97 towards 70 Mile House, Meadow Lake, and Chasm are without power. BC Hydro says it has brought in more than 300 workers to repair the damaged areas, and it hopes power will be returned to residents in the 70 Mile House and Meadow Lake areas by end-of-day Sunday. The Chasm area may take longer.
BC Hydro will provide updates to the community.
The Pear Lake Fire’s Incident Commander, Bryce Moreira, for the BC Wildfire Service says the fire remains ‘Out of Control’ and is 157,448 hectares in size.
Moreira said there are fire crews from Alberta helping contain hot spots and mop up the areas along the fire’s north and northeastern flanks near 70 Mile House.
The BC Wildfire Service has planned ignitions along the fire’s northwestern flanks, and along its western flanks in the Jesmond areas. Moreira says these planned ignitions have helped slow the fire’s spreading.
Fire crews along the Northwestern and southern flanks are being supported with air tankers. The mop-up crews in the 70 Mile, Meadow Lake, and Chasm areas have helicopter support dropping water on targeted hot spots.
“This has really been a worldwide effort to contain this fire,” said Moreira. “We’ve had aid and support from firefighters from Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica. Without their help, we don’t know if we would be where we are on this fire today.”
The BC Wildfire Service and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District remind residents returning home that the area is still on an active Evacuation Alert. Residents are asked to stay prepared to evacuate in case conditions on the Pear Lake Fire change, and a new order has to be issued.
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