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Wildfire evacuee registration at Cloverdale centre in ‘steady decline’

Just over 2,700 now registered, while one RV remains on site
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More than 300 wildfire evacuees registered at the Cloverdale evacuation centre in the last week, bringing the total number of registrants to 2,723.

It marks a steep drop off in registration numbers, compared to the 2,420 people who registered within the first week of the centre’s operation.

The registration numbers are now in a “steady decline,” according to Deputy Fire Chief Mark Griffioen.

It has been two weeks since the centre opened on Monday, July 17, and still no one has made use of the overnight lodgings at the Cloverdale Arena – there are more than 100 cots set up on site, but so far no one has needed them.

At one point, there was as many as 13 RVs of evacuees on the fairgrounds, making use of the Cloverdale Rodeo’s offer of free RV hookups for wildfire evacuees, but that number has now dropped to just one.

Griffioen said 3,500 people have now visited the centre, which includes people returning for an extension on evacuee status.

The support available on site for evacuees remains the same. Griffioen said that evacuees can access “coverage for incidentals, including clothing, food, lodging if required, support for animals” and they can also access internet and meals on site as well.

The Cloverdale Evacuation Centre is not able to take in donations. Instead, donations of goods and cash can be made to Salvation Army locations in Surrey, White Rock, Delta, Langley and New Westminster. Learn more at thriftstore.ca. Monetary donations can also be made to Red Cross at redcross.ca.

If you’d like to learn about volunteering at the centre, visit the City of Surrey’s Emergency Social Services page.

editor@cloverdalereporter.com