Number 1 in NEWS 1130’s Top 10 of 2017
Posted December 29, 2017 9:46 am.
Last Updated December 30, 2017 10:22 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
KAMLOOPS (NEWS 1130) – It took months, but the worst wildfire season on record in BC history is over.
During a state of emergency that lasted just over two months, the voice of the BC Wildfire Service‘s Chief Information Officer, Kevin Skrepnek, was heard on a nearly daily basis providing updates, warnings and weather reports. “The presence of wind and the lack of rain are going to be much more critical factors. We’re really not seeing any relief in the outlook.”
More than 65,000 people were forced out of their homes between July 7th, when the state of emergency was first declared, and September 15th when it was finally lifted. It was the longest state of emergency in the history of the province.
LISTEN: NEWS 1130’s Marcella Bernardo recaps the top story of 2017
One of the hardest-hit communities was 100 Mile House in the Cariboo.
During a town hall meeting in Kamloops which hosted thousands of evacuees, 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall fought back tears as he talked about signing the document ordering everyone out of 100 Mile House with no guarantee every home could be saved.
“8:47 p.m. was the time I signed the papers to ask the people in my community to leave. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life because — with that — we actually believed there was a good chance we were going to lose the whole community that day. I’m emotional.”
Campsall initially refused to leave his community.
Holley Renz, one of the evacuees who lost her house to raging flames on the Ashcroft Reserve in early July, talked about how she and her son tried in vain keep the fire, later re-labelled Elephant Hill, from destroying their home.
“Then, the water ran out. We tried hard to save it and there was nothing we could do. We would have burned to death. The house was fully engulfed, fully, and we had to run for our lives. That was it.”
Renz fought back tears as talked about how grateful she is no one was killed and all her animals made it out alive, but she wishes she could have grabbed a framed photograph of her brother who died in a crash several years ago shortly after he graduated from high school. “And he’s gone and that’s what bothers me is I can’t buy that back, but at least I’ve got the memories.”
Between April 1st and November 30th, 1,346 wildfires burned more 1.2 million hectares — almost 10 times the 10-year average for land burned in a single season (141,064 hectares).
The cost so far is nearly $660 million and the costs will continue to go up as homes are rebuilt and losses are replaced.
A wide-ranging review ordered by Premier John Horgan on December 4th is slated for completion by April 30th.
