Clinton community rallies together following Pear Lake wildfire
Published 3:25 pm Monday, September 14, 2026
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While the Pear Lake wildfire may have forced Clinton’s evacuation this summer, it has left the community stronger than ever.
That resilience was on display at Reg Conn Centennial Park on Saturday, Sept. 12, as the Clinton Strong event kicked off. Organized by community members during the evacuation, which lasted from July 24 to Aug. 15, it marked the first major community event in Clinton since the fire. Community members came together to enjoy free games, activities, food and live music.
Mayor Roland Stanke praised the community’s strength during the event, noting that the Pear Lake wildfire touched them all in some way.
“For some, it meant evacuation, uncertainty, sleepless nights and wondering what we could come home to. For others, the losses were much more real,” Stanke said. “They lost their homes, property, belongings, livelihoods and pieces of a life that can’t be replaced.”
Stanke acknowledged these losses are deeply personal and that recovery will take time. However, he noted that Clinton has always been a place where people show up for one another, just like they did for the Clinton Strong event.
“The wildfire tested this community; it didn’t take away the things that make Clinton your home. I would also like to recognize our local firefighters, B.C. Wildfire crews, first responders, emergency personnel, volunteers, public works staff… who worked through all these difficult situations to protect our village and the surrounding community.”
One of those who helped organize the event was Kayla Pepper, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District’s resiliency centre manager, who noted it was primarily organized by members of Clinton Strong, the Village of Clinton, the High Bar First Nation, the Whispering Pines First Nation, the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department and the Clinton Food Bank. While she is based in Kamloops, Pepper has spent much of the summer getting to know and working with Clinton residents, first when they were evacuated and later after they returned.
Pepper said she was struck by the kindness and strength of the Clinton community. She explained the purpose of the resiliency centre is to provide residents with longer-term support, noting the centre is currently open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clinton Curling Club until at least Sept. 24, pending review.
“We have had a pretty steady stream of folks coming in. Some folks are coming in just for information, some are picking up donations and some we spend quite a bit of time sitting with and just trying to understand what their vision is for their future and how they want to move forward,” Pepper said.
When asked why holding an event like Clinton Strong is important, Pepper replied simply that people heal together. In the 17 years she has helped communities recover from wildfires, Pepper has found that it’s the connections people make within their community that help them heal and recover.
“All I have seen since I have come to Clinton is that people have a really strong network of neighbours,” Pepper said. “Today is about healing, celebration and honouring. Honouring that everybody has been through a disaster, a major disruption in their summer and their lives. Today is about writing that positive story of survival, strength, joy, fun and community.”
Two of the people who took that opportunity to celebrate the community were Jessica and Jordan Lawrence. The Lawrences have lived in Clinton for the last decade with their children, Jessica volunteering as the vice-chair of the Clinton Community Forest, while Jordan is a captain with the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department.
Jordan said they enjoyed the chance to be part of the community and play a friendly game of mini-golf. He remarked that he appreciated the fact that there were so many different activities to enjoy, which Jessica agreed with.
“Everything has still just been feeling a bit heavy since we got back. While the kids going back to school felt a little bit normal, it’s nice to connect with everybody,” Jessica said.
“With social media, it’s really easy for people to be upset about things online and for people to lose their tempers at one another because you’re hiding behind the guise of the internet. If you actually get face-to-face with people, like the good old days, you learn to resolve conflict and see that people are just here for the greater good. They just want to exist peacefully and get back to normal.”
During his comments, Stanke noted that the Clinton Food Bank has established the Clinton Wildfire Recovery Fund to support those impacted by the fires. He encouraged everyone who can to consider donating to support their neighbours.
“Sometimes the smallest gesture arrives on exactly the day that somebody needs it the most. That is what Clinton Strong means,” Stanke said. “It doesn’t mean nothing hurt us; it means when something goes wrong, we all face it together.”