‘It wasn’t unexpected’; Clinton residents flee south as Pear Lake wildfire threatens community

“I saw a massive plume of smoke coming out over the mountain,” McKenzie said. “We know exactly where the fire is and we also know the prevailing winds tend to blow from that fire toward Clinton and that is why there is such concern.”

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has also expanded its evacuation order to include about 131 properties. Approximately 119 properties were ordered out around 11:00 a.m. Friday, while another 12 properties along Highway 97 were ordered to evacuate at 7:30 p.m. Newly impacted areas are as follows:

5296 to 5665 Hwy 97; and
Any other properties as outlined on this map.

For the latest information on evacuation orders and alerts in the TNRD, go here.

“It’s a pretty big expansion of the evacuation order area,” TNRD EOC spokesperson Colton Davies said. “Obviously, it’s a challenging situation when there are this many people affected by a fire and a large scale evacuation order. It’s always a challenge to have to put this in.”

Evacuees heading to Kamloops

Evacuees from the Clinton-area are being told to head to a reception centre at McArthur Island in Kamloops where they’ll be able to access Emergency Support Services. The city has expanded that facility to include a group lodging option in case there are no hotel rooms available for evacuees.

“[There was] anxiety throughout this week, so when we did get the order it was almost like a sense of relief that it was go time,” evacuee Cassie Work told CFJC Today in Cache Creek. “We built it up all week and so when it was time, we were just ready.”

“It wasn’t unexpected,” McKenzie added. “It wasn’t a shock especially after the [community] meeting last night. People left thinking ‘if it’s going to happen, it’s probably going to happen in the next 24 hours,’ so it wasn’t a huge shock and [people] were ready for it.”

The BC Wildfire Service cautions that crews working on the lightning-caused fire will continue to be hampered by hot and dry conditions as well as challenging terrain. As of Friday morning, the fire was above the train tracks near Pear Lake and above the power line right-of-way that runs along the base of the mountain.

“Fuels remain heavily impacted by drought throughout the area and are highly susceptible to increased fire behaviour,” the BC Wildfire Service said in a statement.

A section of Highway 97 through the Village of Clinton is closed to traffic and drivers are being told to detour via highways 1, 5 and 24 through Kamloops and Little Fort.

There was an overall sense of calm in Clinton on Thursday, but now it’s a nervous time for these residents who don’t know what the future holds, but they remain optimistic.

“The people of Clinton have been through this before in 2017, and so they know what to do,” McKenzie said. “Some people are choosing, for now, to stay and to try and protect their land and animals. They’re smart and resilient, and they know what they’re doing. They will eventually leave if they have to.”

“Everybody is also helping each other a lot and it’s a lot of people pulling together like you would in any small town in Canada.”

“It’s scary,” Work added, “It’s a weird feeling leaving your house behind. Going through and deciding what is important to you is a big thing, but I was worried about just getting the kids and the pets out safely.”

by Victor Kaisar

‘It wasn’t unexpected’; Clinton residents flee south as Pear Lake wildfire threatens community

Evacuees heading to Kamloops

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