Grateful Lillooet residents Babe Smith and her husband thought they'd lose their house to the Mount McLean wildfire. (CBC) People began streaming back to their homes by the thousands in Lillooet, B.C., Thursday after a four-day forest fire evacuation order was lifted.
The Mount McLean wildfire still covers about 3,800 hectares, and at one point was less than one kilometre from the town but fire officials said it had stabilized thanks to the work of firefighters and some cooler weather.
Although the official evacuation order for about 2,500 people was rescinded, the residents remained under an evacuation alert.
"We just thought it was going to go," a tearful Babe Smith told CBC News as she and her husband stood in their kitchen in Lillooet once again.
"But we'd let go of things, you do, you let go," Smith said. "That's why I'm so grateful to be back."
"Well, it's better than sleeping in my truck," another man said, when asked how he liked the idea of getting home.
The local RCMP detachment said returning townspeople had reported two cases of homes being broken into during the evacuation, but police could not immediately confirm anything had been stolen.
Another 360 people have also been allowed to return home north of Kelowna, but some 2,100 remain under an evacuation order because of the danger of the Terrace Mountain fire near Fintry.
Officials estimated that fire is 40 per cent contained, but it's unclear when the remaining evacuees will be allowed to return home.
This message of appreciation to crews fighting wildfires comes from a resident near Lillooet, B.C. (CBC) An evacuation order has also been lifted for 50 people in Brookmere, south of Merritt, although they will also remain on evacuation alert.
Another 70 residents in the area remain under an evacuation order.
The residents were ordered out on Sunday because of the Brook Creek fire, which covers 2,100 hectares. Officials estimate that blaze is 80 per cent contained.
Fires threaten phones, electricity
More than 60 homes in the Bella Coola Valley remained on evacuation order Thursday, with another 25 on evacuation alert, because of the Nuxalk fire, which is reported to be still out of control and uncontained.
Another fire in the Bella Coola Valley is threatening a communications station in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.
Officials say if the station is consumed, it could shut down all phone and cellular communication in the area, cutting off emergency personnel.
Officials say crews are ready to protect the station if the fires moves closer.
Meanwhile, a fire near Gold River on Vancouver Island has grown to 170 hectares and is threatening to cut off power to more than 8,000 people.
The Antler Lake fire вЂ" just 20 per cent contained вЂ" is 500 metres from power lines that provide electricity to people on the North Island.
BC Hydro has sprinklers set up near the power lines and says it will shut off electricity if the fire burns too close.
Officials said Wednesday there were an estimated 824 fires burning in the province.
There have been a total of 2,300 blazes in B.C. so far this year, burning an estimated 79,000 hectares of forest.
