By Chad Klassen

Cleaning off fire retardant No. 1 priority for Cache Creek residents

Jul 20, 2017 | 5:00 PM

CACHE CREEK, B.C. — Bright red fire retardant blankets Fred Gerwien’s home in Cache Creek, leaving behind a mess. But it’s a mess that ultimately saved his place from the fast-moving flames that ripped through the region two weeks ago. 

“It was pretty red, that’s all we can say,” said Gerwien when he and his wife returned home to Cache Creek on Tuesday. “But as my wife says, better red than black.”

Fred and his son Wes can’t believe the house, which the family built themselves in 2000. The two joking it just looks like a bad paint job, splattered red. 

But now they have to clean it up, relying on the help of Thompson Valley Restoration. 

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“We have no clue at this particular moment,” Gerwien noted, not knowing when the company will be able to clean off the retardant. “They don’t know what they can do. It’s on our rock work, it’s on our brick work, it’s everywhere.”

Down the road at the Sage & Sands Mobile Home Park, also saved by the drop of fire retardant, Gareth Smart is eager to clean off his home from the ‘sea of red.’ But he wants to ensure he’s doing it right. 

“We’re going to go talk to the insurance adjusters about getting it cleaned up,” he said. “We want to make sure it’s safe for us to do it before we take it down ourselves.”

Smart washed the retardant off his car with just soap and water, which is one way to do it. 

“We’ve seen a lot of it in Cache Creek as we’ve been doing a drive through,” said Chris O’Dwyer from Service Master Restore, which is set up at the Cache Creek Recreational Park to answer people’s restoration questions. 

“It is crucial to try and get it off as quick as possible. If you do have some home insurance, it’s best talking with your insurance broker, maybe seeing if it’s covered. If it’s not, we’ve had really good luck with hot, soapy water using a pressure washer.”

Gerwien’s place may be a little more difficult with the amount of retardant that’s caked off after sitting for the last 13 days. He’s not sure how fast it can be removed. 

“It all depends on contractors. If you’re first out of the gate, you’re better than the people behind you.”