[REVISION HISTORY]

Community food support for BC wildfire firefighters

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-02 20:31 UTC → 2026-08-03 19:20 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In early August the Pear Lake fire continued to expand, reaching about 115,438 ha on 2 August after merging with the Rim Lake fire and advancing toward the French Bar Creek fire. Despite the growth, authorities did not issue additional evacuation orders for Clinton, and forecasts of cooler temperatures, lower humidity and moderate winds were expected to temper fire behaviour, though the drought‑affected fuels remained highly flammable. Tim Green, who stayed behind during the July 24 evacuation to protect his trailer, kept operating his food‑truck kitchen behind the Clinton Curling Club. After the fire front stabilized, his manager at the Cariboo Lodge asked him to resume large‑scale, high‑calorie meals for the crews. The community‑driven food network, including the Stagecoach Café, therefore remained active through the expanding blaze, sustaining firefighters as containment efforts progressed. From 23 July to early August, the Stagecoach Café, co‑owned by Maria and Nicholas Kosovic, operated from 3 a.m. to 11 p.m., doubling its normal output to provide oversized, high‑calorie meals for six consecutive days. Local businesses, residents and the 100 Mile House Food Bank supplied food and assistance, allowing the café to break even. Firefighters affectionately called Maria “Mama Maria,” and the town’s mayor praised the effort for protecting the watershed. The BC Wildfire Service deployed more than 500 structural and wildland firefighters, 24 helicopters and extensive heavy equipment to combat the Pear Lake fire and the broader Big Bar complex. Evacuation alerts remain in place for Clinton, 70 Mile House, Green Lake and Highway 24, but no new orders have been issued as cooler weather is expected to reduce fire activity.

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