JULY
Fire destroys historic buildings
Several historic buildings on Hwy. 1 beside Ashcroft Manor were destroyed in a late night blaze.
At 11:43 pm on Fri., July 18 a motorist travelling on Hwy. 1 reported a structure fire near the Manor. Multiple calls from people living on the Manor property were also received, reporting that there was a fire on the old Dept. of Transport site beside the Manor, which contained several empty houses and sheds.
“We arrived at a firestorm,” said Ashcroft Fire Dept. Chief Brian Henderson. “Two buildings were already fully engulfed, and the fire was running along a ditch beside the highway into a large pile of hay. It was also running behind the buildings, toward the Manor.”
Winds of up to 70 km per hour were carrying embers far from the fire, and the firefighters directed their efforts toward controlling and preventing the blaze from spreading further.
The fire caught hold in a gully to the north of the Manor and was threatening the historic roadhouse. A shed behind the Teahouse was destroyed, and burning embers ignited a small fire on the roof of the Manor, but firefighters from Ashcroft and Cache Creek managed to douse the flames and keep the other Manor property buildings safe.
Liberal caucus visits Terminal
Ashcroft hosted a meeting of most of the provincial Liberal caucus on July 15, as Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart took the opportunity to highlight local economic development.
One of the highlights was a luncheon at the Ashcroft Terminal. The 320-acre transload and storage terminal provides direct access to major highways and railway lines.
Royal Bank on fire
The Royal Bank building in Cache Creek was damaged by a suspected electrical fire on July 28 that caused smoke, glass and water damage.
The bank’s representatives said they would restore the damaged parts of the building and hoped to be open again by mid-December.