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76 days later, devastating Elephant Hill fire no longer a threat

76 days later, devastating Elephant Hill fire no longer a threat

For 76 days, the Elephant Hill wildfire stoked fear and dread in B.C. residents.

Now, it is no longer considered a threat to any properties, according to a statement from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

"All Evacuation Alerts in place have been lifted and the area is now considered "All Clear,'" the statement said in part.

The words "all clear" will have thousands of B.C. residents breathing a deep sigh of relief.

The Elephant Hill fire, which eventually grew to more than 192,000 hectares in size, was one of the most devastating in a record-breaking wildfire season for B.C.

In early July, the fire — originally dubbed the Ashcroft Reserve fire — ripped through the Boston Flats, destroying 45 homes.

It later claimed another 45 homes in Loon Lake, as well as 33 in the Pressy Lake area.

On July 29, the fire exploded again in size, crossing a river and forcing evacuation orders for an area seven times the size of Vancouver, including the town of Clinton.

At the height of the fires, nearly 50,000 people were forced to flee their homes as flames scorched huge swaths of timber, bush and grassland.

The wildfire service estimates just over 12,000 square kilometres of land has been burned and firefighting efforts have cost more than $500 million since the season began, April 1.

Fourteen wildfires of note still blaze within the southeast, Cariboo and Kamloops fire centres.

With files from the Canadian Press