B.C. business owner Steven Larabie flees fast-moving Pear Lake wildfire, describing it as sounding like 'two 747 jets' landing; fire destroys property.

Steven Larabie, owner of Steve’s Towing and Auto Repair, faced a harrowing escape from the Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton, B.C. The fire, which he described as sounding like 'two 747 jets', rapidly advanced, forcing him to flee as it destroyed his property.

Larabie had lived in the area for 12 years and previously survived a massive wildfire in 2017 that burned over 1,900 square kilometres. On the morning of his escape, he received a warning call about the fire approaching his home. “By like 3.30, quarter to four, there was nothing left,” he recounted, highlighting the speed and ferocity of the flames.

Despite managing to save six pieces of equipment, he lost a mini excavator, four excavators, and around a thousand cars in his auto wrecker, amounting to millions in losses. “The heat was like intense and the wind was like a tornado,” he described, emphasizing the overwhelming conditions he faced as he fled.

As the fire tore through his yard, Larabie noted, “When I was leaving, that fire was faster than I was and I was doing a buck thirty out of there.” His experience underscores the devastating impact of wildfires in the region, as communities brace for ongoing threats.