‘Like Two 747 Jets’: B.C. Business Owner Escapes Fast-Moving Wildfire

Steven Larabie knew he had to evacuate when he saw the Pear Lake wildfire moving over a ridge near his home outside Clinton, British Columbia.

Larabie, who owns Steve’s Towing and Auto Repair, had lived on the property for 12 years. He had previously survived the destructive Elephant Hill wildfire, which burned more than 1,900 square kilometres of forest, grassland and private property in 2017.

However, the Pear Lake wildfire reached his property with devastating speed last Friday.

Flames Destroy Property Within Hours

Larabie received his first warning at around 9 a.m. from someone living along Kelly Lake Road. The caller said flames were coming over the ridge behind their property and that they were preparing to evacuate.

By approximately 2:30 p.m., the wildfire had crossed the first hill and was rapidly approaching Larabie’s home. Less than two hours later, almost everything on the property had been destroyed.

Before the fire arrived, Larabie sent his wife, daughter and grandchildren away while he remained behind to move equipment into a nearby field.

Despite his efforts, he managed to save only about six pieces of machinery.

Millions of Dollars in Vehicles and Equipment Lost

Larabie said the wildfire destroyed his mini excavator, four additional excavators and around 1,000 vehicles stored at his auto-wrecking business.

Some of the vehicles belonged to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. He estimated that the total financial loss could reach millions of dollars.

When the flames crossed the ridge, Larabie realised he had no choice but to leave.

Precious Family Items Left Behind

As he prepared to escape, Larabie remembered that he had not collected his cat, his brother’s ashes or the ashes of his daughter.

His daughter died 11 years earlier after being struck by a train while walking home from school in Maple Ridge.

Larabie returned inside the house, but the electricity had already been disconnected. He used the camera light on his mobile phone to search through the dark building.

He managed to retrieve a pair of shoes that had been specially made for him following his daughter’s death. However, he could not recover photographs or most of his other personal belongings.

He escaped wearing only a T-shirt, shorts and sandals.

Intense Heat Began Melting His Truck

Larabie described the approaching wildfire as sounding like two Boeing 747 aircraft preparing to land nearby. He said the noise was overwhelming, while the extreme heat and powerful winds felt similar to a tornado.

As he drove away, he could smell the mud flaps on his truck beginning to melt.

The flames swept through his backyard, destroyed a neighbour’s home and continued directly through his property, consuming everything in their path.

Other residents in the surrounding area also lost their homes.

Fire Surrounded Highway During Escape

Larabie said he drove at approximately 130 kilometres per hour while attempting to escape, but the wildfire continued moving faster than his vehicle.

By the time he reached Six Mile Lake, roughly three kilometres from his home, flames were already ahead of him and burning on both sides of the highway.

He described burning material falling from the sky like small explosions of fire.

The Pear Lake wildfire left Steven Larabie without his home, most of his possessions and millions of dollars’ worth of business equipment and vehicles.

His experience highlights how quickly wildfires can intensify, leaving residents with only moments to escape and little opportunity to protect their property.