It was 10 years ago, on July 30, 2003, that a spark ignited the McLure fire, a fire that ended up ravaging 26,420 hectares of land, destroying 72 homes and nine businesses spanning Louis Creek, McLure and Barriere, B.C.
“The year 2003 is synonymous with wildfire in British Columbia. As the Minster of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, I look back at those devastating fires, such as the McLure fire, and admire the resilience of residents and the hard work completed by all agencies including our wildfire fighting personnel,” said a statement released by Minister Steve Thomson.
“Roughly 3,800 residents were evacuated from their homes, 800 of which were evacuated for a second time. Out-of-province firefighters and the military assisted with the emergency, working in co-ordination with wildland firefighters and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.”
That fire began as a moderate high ranking fire, but grew quickly travelling upwards of 80 metres per minute.
“The fire was ranked six-plus, that’s over our scale,” Donna 
MacPherson, fire information officer, told SPIN in 2003. “Basically, a fire storm was happening. The fire was creating its own wind to pull in oxygen. It works like a chimney; it pulls cool air from the bottom. Metal was melting.”
The McLure fire burned for 75 days, and required within its first week 700 firefighters and military personnel to contain it, 220 military support personnel, four helicopters, nine bulldozers, three excavators and six water trucks.
“The McLure fire was only one of 25 Type 1 fires that 
personnel responded to that summer,” continued Thomson.
That summer the Strawberry Hill fire which began on August 1, and reached 5,730 ha, and the McGillivray fire of August 15 (11,395 ha), also had Sun Peaks and area residents on high alert. The McGillivray fire forced the evacuation of the community and came within 5 kilometres of the resort.
“At this time of year when lightning fires are more probable, we must work together to prevent additional wildfire starts. This anniversary serves as a reminder of the devastating effects of person-caused fires,” concluded Thomson.
Photos included with this story were sourced from SPIN archives, McLure Fire Recommendations for Community Preparedness and Mitigation and the Firestorm 2003 Provincial Review.
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