Shuswap fire- my own story

Many times over the past couple of months this paper has covered the fire in the Shuswap. Now, I have found the time to tell my own story.

I first noticed information about the fire in the middle of the July. Since it wasn’t smoky and the fire wasn’t too big I didn’t pay much attention. The fact that no one was putting the fires out was a source of frustration for me though, as this had happened many times before.

By the end of July and beginning of August we were getting smoke in Salmon Arm but was relatively not bad compared to previous years. Like everyone else I was hoping for rain. I checked the daily weather forecast which predicted a 70% chance of rain within 3 days. Day to day, the forecast precipitation dropped to 40% then 30% and then no rain at all.

As the size of fire was growing I was getting more and more concerned, but it was still far up the mountain and didn’t pose any significant threat.

On August 1 a man and woman set a fire close to the railway tracks in the Tappen area. The couple was caught by the RCMP; charged $2300 and later released. The fire was put out immediately by local firefighters. I was asking myself if that fine was proportional to the risk of damage that it could have caused in such drought conditions. I was also curious if the RCMP did a thorough investigation of the culprits or if they were connected to an organized group or other fires? What was their motivation or were they paid to set the fire? Can anybody respond to that?

https://www.saobserver.net/news/person-fined-2300-for-fire-started-near-salmon-arm/

The first weekend of August was really smoky in town so I decided to take one week off and go camping to the lower mainland. I had a great time with my family enjoying fresh air and clean water. Our good time was enhanced with the news that the Shuswap area received short but heavy rain. I was hoping it would end the fire season in the region and that we could still enjoy the summer.

We drove back on Friday, August 11th and saw just a few hot spots smoking over Adams Lake and that satisfied me that the fire would soon be over.

On Monday, August 14 I did some work in North Shuswap after which I took pictures of the Adams Lake fire and fire camp which was set up in the Squilax Airfield. A firefighter said the camp was moved from the fire in Osoyoos so they could put down the Adams Lake fire once and for all. CSRD reported, that more than 100 firefighters from Costa Rica and 100 from Brazil joined the BC crews on the site and that 15 helicopters were available for the Adams Lake fires, but I didn’t see any  aircraft in the air or on the Squilax airfield. Despite that, this led me to believe the fire would soon be gone but I had no clue how wrong I was.

In town it was still smoky, but I wasn’t sure if it was from Adams Lake, Seymour Arm or the US fires.

On Wednesday, August 16 the winds picked up and the fire grew much bigger. I noticed the CSRD Emergency Command Center issued an evacuation alert for Lee Creek. I started to get really worried.

The next day the smoke in town increased and I called friends in the North Shuswap to see what was going on there. They said the firefighters set up hoses around the structures in Scotch Creek and the fires were still up in the mountains.

Despite the fact that afternoon the forecast showed strong winds, 30- 40 km/ per hour, BC Wildfire services decide to start an aerial ignition. As was reported, 6424 acres were intentionally back burned right behind Scotch Creek and Lee Creek, giving the fire enough fuel to destroy almost all North Shuswap.

On Friday, August 18 I drove there to help friends get valuables from their houses, in case fire approached their properties. One friend showed me pictures of the back burn fire, right behind their house. “Was like a bombs in the war”, he said.

Many houses had sprinklers on the roofs on and people were packing up their stuff. I didn’t see any firetrucks or firefighters around.

After I filled up my car with friends’ belongings I went to Adams Lake, where a security guard was on the road to the Adams Lake mill and the forestry road to Bush Creek was closed. Adams Lake was super smoky and I couldn’t see the other side of the lake.

When I was driving back I saw a big flames with dark black smoke in the forest over the Adams Lake. I stopped and took few pictures. I was wondering what caused the smoke to be so black when burning wood normally produce a grey smoke. That was suspicious to me; was there some garbage over the mountain, forgotten equipment or was somebody there to “grow” the fire?

I continued driving towards Squilax and met around seven BC Wildfires pick- up trucks with a lot of gas cans driving towards Adams Lake. At the Squilax Airfield I took more pictures of the fire camp where there were a lot of tents, trailers of a Structural protection unit and two helicopters. There was not much activity among the firefighters.

I stopped at the Squilax gas station where there was an information panel about the fires and few trucks from the First Nation emergency services. Nobody really wanted to talk as they were preparing for a meeting.

When I returned to Salmon Arm I find out that an Evacuation order was issued for Meadow Creek and stories of how bad it is there.

While people in North Shuswap were fighting the fire, protecting their properties and risking their lives, hundreds of people were enjoying the Roots & Blues festival in town. I was very unhappy that the festival wasn’t canceled in light of the emergency. That afternoon we got a bit of sun and a little fresh air but the sky showed that the North Shuswap must be like hell.

When around 7:00 PM Squilax gas station burned down and the fire crossed the highway, I started getting anxious. I can’t imagine what some people went through that night.

The next morning I get a request from friends to help at their farm in the Notch Hill area. On the way there I called the CSRD and City of Salmon Arm but no one responded so I called 911 requesting to shut down the Roots & Blues festival and send visitors home. In doing so the fairgrounds could be used for evacuated people and animals and the infrastructure and local stores would not be put under big pressure. The operator told me, I should call local bylaw, and local authorities. I told her, I tried but there was no response. She said: “I can’t help you anymore.”

When I arrived at my friend’s farm in Notch Hill I dropped a tree close to the house and helped to set up sprinklers over the house and shed and prepared the farm for the worst case scenario.

Later I drove on Taylor Rd in Notch Hill to see if anybody needed any help but most properties were abandoned except for two. I recommend they turn their sprinklers on and keep their driveways clear in case fire trucks arrive and be prepared for the worst.

I stopped by in Sorrento when they shut down the TCH1, and went to Sunnybrae to get valuables from friends’ house as they were getting nervous as the fire approached.

When I returned to town I was happy that “officials” had finally shut down the festival and visitors started to leave. I stopped at the CSRD for a situation update and asked if they were helping people and was told an Emergence meeting was in progress. That afternoon I shared information about help for evacuated and tried to document and share everything usable.

Later that afternoon I was upset to hear the CSRD had shut down the bulk water station in Sorrento which was being used to water livestock and to put down hot spots. When called, the CSRD responded that there was some issue there and they were working on it.

Sunday, August 19, I posted contact information on line of people ready to help the evacuated and get message from friends. People in west Sorrento had the fire on their doorsteps and were out of fuel for generators {power was already off} to keep water pumps running; diesel for operating the small loader and they also needed fresh food ready to eat.

I shared the information online, got some gas cans from neighbours and drove to the gas station where I filled them up. I met other people there {you know who you are}, who donated more fuel, water, and food. I then received the message, there is still a road blockage in Sorrento on TCH1 as well as a new one in Notch Hill. I was sure if I could have a word with the crew on the road blockage at Notch Hill that they will let me in to deliver the essential goods for the people fighting the fire on the West Bank, who were basically protecting us as well.

I saw two guys at the road blockade. I nicely explained the situation to them, that I had fuel and food for people in the Evacuation order area, who were protecting their properties and fighting the fires, but my access was denied. I asked the name of the companies who gave them orders to be there. One member of the crew was from Alliance Traffic Group and second was from Vadium Security in Kamloops, they told me that the order came from the CSRD. They told me I could walk in but could not drive there and deliver the goods.

I argued that what they are doing is wrong and the people over there need immediate help. They called the RCMP and then another member of Security arrived. I explained the situation to the RCMP officer but he also denied my access. He coldly said: “I’m following the order.”

I witnessed homeowners living a couple hundred feet from the blockade being denied access and having to ask neighbours to bring their stuff including medications from their homes. Other people who stayed in the evacuation order area drove to the blockade and picked up fuel and food from friends and family members who where outside the area. We also found people to take my donations and deliver them to people on West Bank Rd. This reminds me of situations at the Berlin wall, or at the Yugoslavia border, when people couldn’t help friends and family members on another side because of a bureaucratic decision made by communists.

When I left the road blockade, I noticed local guys driving trucks with water tanks to monitor the area and put down spot fires. I talked with friends and locals to find out what we should do next and how to help. Of course, we found a solution, but that is another story.

The members of the public services were supposed to be helping deliver essentials to the North Shuswap but instead were doing the opposite, creating barriers for those members of the public who were.

I could keep writing about what happened over the next few days, how we dealt with bureaucracy and obstacles from the people who should help and are paid from our taxes, how there tried to deny their mistakes, and justify their decisions, and at the end trying to get credit for what they did.

The third week of August from the 14 to the 19 was the most critical and I believe that if all reported available crews and helicopters fought the fire with everything they had the fire on Adams Lake would have been gone and we could have had a nice summer.

I strongly believe that the back burn fire on August 17 was a terrible decision and a proper investigation must be done, who gave the order for it, why and who should take a responsibility.

At the end of it all, from the depths of my heart, I really want to thank all of the people who didn’t follow the bureaucratic orders and stayed home and fought the fire. You went through hell; showed unbelievable courage; power of will and also big heart when you helped your neighbours. You are the real heroes but without glory and are an example for others. I’m sure, that without your efforts, the damage would have been significantly worst and the North Shuswap and even Sorrento would be totally gone.

I’d like to apologize that I didn’t help more, and also, I’m sorry that we, as a community failed when you needed our help. This must be a lesson for us, for self reflection; we need a real change in this community if we want to survive future challenges without significant damage. We need leaders who can we trust, who are moral and emphatic, who listen to all people in the community, not arrogant bureaucrats. We need pragmatic leaders who build bridges, not walls, leaders that help people first and who don’t just follow a prescribed agenda. We need a change.

DB, CB