Loon Lake evacuated, Clinton put on alert as Ashcroft fire grows

Jul 14, 2017 | 7:19 PM

CLINTON, B.C. — A series of fishing resorts and rural properties around a popular recreation lake north of Cache Creek have been evacuated thanks to the rapidly advancing Ashcroft Reserve fire.

Loon Lake was placed under an evacuation order by TNRD officials Friday evening.

Evacuees are urged to register through the Emergency Social Services Reception Centre at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.

They also need to register with the Canadian Red Cross in order to receive financial aid from the province.

According to the TNRD, evacuees will be escorted through road closures south on Highway 97 and Highway 1 in order to get to Kamloops.

In addition, the Village of Clinton was placed on evacuation alert.

While BC Wildfire crews in several areas of the province saw some measure of success gaining containment Thursday and Friday, the Ashcroft Reserve fire is still categorized as completely out of control.

The Village of Cache Creek was evacuated a week ago, and the Boston Flats Mobile Home Park was almost completely destroyed.

Crews conducted burnoff activities on Friday to protect the communities of Ashcroft and Cache Creek, but the most active fronts burned north toward Loon Lake and Clinton.