Despite losing his home and fire hall to the Bush Creek East wildfire, Darren Reynolds and fellow North Shuswap firefighters continue doing the work that needs to be done to protect their communities.

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) recently shared ReynoldsB次元官网网址� harrowing account of late Friday afternoon, Aug. 18, when strong winds pushed the out-of-control wildfire into North Shuswap communities including Scotch Creek. A member of the CSRDB次元官网网址檚 Scotch Creek/Lee Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Reynolds explained in a video shared by the CSRD that he and fellow firefighters were at the wooden Scotch Creek bridge, helping to remove danger trees. With the B次元官网网址渇ire all around us,B次元官网网址� they fell back to the fire hall. That was just before B次元官网网址渁ll hell broke loose.B次元官网网址�

At the fire hall, Reynolds said the plan was to regroup, get hoses back together and then get to work on spot fires. This was with the knowledge his home had already been lost to the blaze B次元官网网址� something he learned from his son Nathan and NathanB次元官网网址檚 partner Savannah, who are also Scotch Creek/Leek Creek firefighters.

B次元官网网址淚 knew we had lost our property because he was just down that street. He watched it happen.B次元官网网址�

The wind died down, offering a 30-second lull before it picked up again, B次元官网网址渁nd chunks of stuff were flying out of the sky on fire, and the trees were just sideways, the embers were incredible B次元官网网址� we couldnB次元官网网址檛 breathe or nothing (sic), trees were candling right beside us, our hall was on fire, we watched the trailer court just get ripped apart, just explode,B次元官网网址� said Reynolds.

It was then they headed to the beach, B次元官网网址渂ecause we thought we were going to die, simple as that.B次元官网网址�

Once on the beach, they were transported by lake to safety. Three days later, Reynolds returned to his fire-ravaged North Shuswap community and has been there since, even though his home was flattened in the blaze.

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B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檝e seen my property, it was moving so fast, it just turned everything to dust basically,B次元官网网址� said Reynolds. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e never seen anything like that but now I can honestly say I have and I donB次元官网网址檛 think I want to again.B次元官网网址�

In a CSRD media release accompanying the video, Reynolds points out like himself, other North Shuswap firefighters have lost their homes and are B次元官网网址渟till going hard.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his is my neighbourhood. I donB次元官网网址檛 have another neighbourhood. And nobody should have to go through this. ItB次元官网网址檚 pretty uglyB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Reynolds, noting the selfless actions of firefighters helped people to escape the blaze.

B次元官网网址淧eople donB次元官网网址檛 understand that. They think they should all come first. Sorry, it doesnB次元官网网址檛 work that wayB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Reynolds. B次元官网网址淚f I didnB次元官网网址檛 think the way I do, I would have said B次元官网网址榯o hell with the bridgeB次元官网网址� and I would have went (sic) and protected my house. Instead, I donB次元官网网址檛 know how many thousands of people we got out of here.B次元官网网址�

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