By Doug Collins

South Cariboo hammered by slides and fires

Aug 12, 2018 | 8:13 AM

KAMLOOPS —UPDATE — Traffic is starting to move again in the Cache Creek area after a series of mud slides yesterday. The slides closed sections of the Trans Canada Highway and Highway 97 after heavy rainfall and hail hit the area yesterday. The Trans Canada was closed in both directions west of Savona yesterday, and near Spences Bridge today. Both those areas are now open to single-lane, alternating traffic. Highway 97 was shut down in both directions at Clinton and in the northbound lane where the Trans Canada meets Highway 97 at Cache Creek. Again, both those areas have now reopened to single-lane, alternating traffic. The only area still closed both ways is Highway 99 at the Hat Creek Corner. There is no detour and no estimated time of reopening. 

Six people were evacuated from a home near Ashcroft because of a landslide in that area. Emergency Management B.C. said the RCMP were able to get the people out safely, and there was no indication of anyone else who was trapped. Reports earlier this morning said there was a search underway for someone in a vehicle that had been hit by the slide at Hat Creek Corner, but that was later discounted by authorities. 

Smoke is heavy in the air over Kamloops and has been since yesterday afternoon. It’s believed most of it came in on the tail of that fast-moving series of storms that hit the area yesterday. 
There are some fires in this area that are creating some issues. The Juliet Fire off the Coquihalla Highway 47 kilometers southwest of Merritt has grown to 600 hectares as of last night. It is considered to be an interface fire. An evacuation alert was issued yesterday and was upgraded to an evacuation order in the Murray Lake area, which borders the Coquihalla. 

There is a fire that sprang up on the Bonaparte Plateau yesterday that led to the TNRD issuing an evacuation order for part of Electoral Area “E”.  The Wild Goose Lake wildfire has now grown to 6600 hectares. The nearby Twin Creek fire, located closer to 70 Mile, is sitting at 524 hectares, and has resulted in an evacuation alert for the communities of 70 Mile House and South Green Lake. 

There are a substantial number of lightning-caused fires in the Kamloops area, including Hyas Lake and Robbins Range road, among others, but they are all very small, and not reported to be major issues at this point. 

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EARLIER — The area around Cache Creek and the southern Cariboo continue to get hammered by both fires and floods. Several mudslides hit the area yesterday, closing highways and creating traffic chaos.  Highway 99 is closed in both directions at the Hat Creek Corner because of a slide. No detour around that one. Police are searching for  at least one person in a vehicle that was hit by that slide. No indication on whether or not the person is believed alive or deceased. At the Hat Creek ranch, people there tell us they are stranded and can’t go anywhere until the debris is cleared.

 The Trans Canada Highway is closed 23 kilometers west of Savona because of a mudslide. There is no estimated time of reopening. Detour is by Highway 5 North. 
There are several slides between Cache Creek and Clinton as well. 
Highway 97 is closed in both directions at Clinton because of a slide. Highways 5 and  24 are the detour routes. Again, no estimated time of reopening.
The highway is also closed Northbound at the Junction of the Trans Canada and Highway 97 in Cache Creek itself. Highway 97C is the detour. 
 Emergency officials have released no details so far. Emergency crews are working to get the highways clear as quickly as possible. 

Smoke is heavy in the air over Kamloops and has been since yesterday afternoon. It’s believed most of it came in on the tail of that fast-moving series of storms that hit the area yesterday. The storms were tracked from Princeton north through Merritt and Kamloops, and the smoke is believed to be coming from the Cawston-Hedley area and from Washington State. 
Although some of the bad weather hit during the Ribfest and Hot Nite in the City celebrations, many stayed on and enjoyed the party even with the rainfall. The final day of Ribfest goes at Riverside Park today. 

There are some fires in this area that are creating some issues. The Juliet Fire off the Coquihalla Highway 47 kilometers southwest of Merritt has grown to 600 hectares as of last night. It is considered to be an interface fire. An evacuation alert was issued yesterday and was upgraded to an evacuation order in the Murray Lake area, which borders the Coquihalla. 

There is a fire that sprang up on the Bonaparte Plateau yesterday that led to the TNRD issuing an evacuation order for part of Electoral Area “E”.  The Wild Goose Lake wildfire has now grown to 6600 hectares. The nearby Twin Creek fire, located closer to 70 Mile, is sitting at 524 hectares, and has resulted in an evacuation alert for the communities of 70 Mile House and South Green Lake. 

Updated alerts and orders on these wildfires can be accessed here at www.tnrd.ca