Cache Creek, B.C., residents — forced out by wildfire — now set to return home
After days of frustration and anxiety, there is hope for some wildfire evacuees in the B.C. Interior.
Cache Creek was the first community ordered to evacuate when the fires got too close for comfort on July 7. But now, 11 days later, residents will be allowed to return home.
Everybody in Cache Creek wants to get home desperately.- Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta
Although the wildfire in nearby Ashcroft still continues to burn, the most imminent danger to Cache Creek has passed, Mayor John Ranta told The Current guest host Laura Lynch.
"The assessed threat seems to have diminished to the extent that people will be safe going back to the community," he said.
"However, it's not as if the threat is entirely gone," he added.
"There is always the possibility, with the downgrade from an evacuation order to an evacuation alert that the order may be reinstated at some point in the future, so people still need to be prepared to leave their homes if called upon to do so."
While the majority of the town's 1,000 residents have re-located to evacuation centres in places like nearby Kamloops, about 100 stayed behind, including the volunteer fire department.
Ranta said he estimated about 300 vehicles would be returning to the community once the evacuation order is lifted.
Meanwhile, he said, the town is pretty quiet.
"It's deserted. It's lonely. My wife is here in Kamloops. She left on our anniversary," he said.
"Everybody in Cache Creek wants to get home desperately."
This segment was produced by The Current's Cathy Simon.