Cache Creek fire evacuees return home after 11 anxious days
Town was one of the first communities to be evacuated following outbreak of fires in B.C. Interior
After 11 days of anxiously waiting and having few answers, the people of Cache Creek are finally coming home.
At 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, a roadblock keeping out residents evacuated due to the forest fires raging across B.C. was lifted.
Eager to return, some of the townspeople had been lined up for hours.
"[I'm] not very good," said Rose Lulu, who lined up at 11 a.m. to get back in. "I wish I was home, especially with my little dogs. I've got three of them."
After 11 days the roadblock opens to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CacheCreek?src=hash">#CacheCreek</a>. A flood of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCwildfire?src=hash">#BCwildfire</a> evacuees return. <a href="https://t.co/7uVAjIkIvs">pic.twitter.com/7uVAjIkIvs</a>
—@anitabatheIt won't be a perfect homecoming for all residents. Some houses have heavy smoke damage.
Brian Vanderishe knows to expect that. He didn't go far, living out of a camper on the other side of the roadblock for almost two weeks — but he's not going home until Wednesday because he wants to avoid all the chaos.
"A shower is the first thing on the agenda," he said. "Well, probably the first thing is to have a look around the house. ... I'm sure we've got fire retardant all over the house."
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CacheCreek?src=hash">#CacheCreek</a> residents waiting at a road block to be let back into their homes. They aren't allowed through until 3pm but lined up early. <a href="https://t.co/cUKHfqCAW5">pic.twitter.com/cUKHfqCAW5</a>
—@anitabatheOthers, like Richard Billy, are eager to return to their livelihoods.
"I've got lots of work to do, hayfields to do and my cows up the hill to look after," he said. "Hopefully they're all still there."
And while residents are glad to be back, there's no telling how long they'll be allowed to stay.
The town remains on evacuation alert and if the fire danger picks up, they could become evacuees once more.
"You can see a very large, active wildfire and we do have some area restrictions in place," said fire information officer Mike McCulley. "Lots of work to go on this fire yet. It's moving north again as the winds turn south. We're seeing increased fire behaviour today."
The Ashcroft Fire, which caused the evacuation, is currently 52,600 hectares in size and on steep terrain, he said. He called it's behaviour "extreme" as dry conditions persist and winds continue to fan the flames.
The fire is still classified as out of control, as approximately 240 firefighters supported by 13 helicopters and 50 pieces of heavy equipment battle the inferno.
McCulley says efforts are focusing on containing the fire and removing the fuel between it and the town.
With files from Anita Bathe and Lien Yeung