A Cache Creek family is currently stranded in Ladysmith after wildfires forced the sudden evacuation of their First Nation community last week while they were vacationing here on Vancouver Island.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of people stayed behind on the reserve and did everything they could to protect it,B次元官网网址� said Heather Daniel, who had planned a short visit to see her dad with husband James and their two children, Hunter, 5, and two-year-old Storeigh.
B次元官网网址淲e had no chance of saving anything but luckily my mom was able to get home after the fire passedB次元官网网址e had to sit there on the phone with her and decide what was important.B次元官网网址�
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sparked late Thursday night, only a day after the Daniels had arrived on the island and about 48 hours or so before their scheduled departure to make the seven hour journey back north.
Helplessly watching as images of the destruction spread on social media and in the news more quickly than the fire itself, the family tried to come to grips with the extent of the damage.
B次元官网网址淭he fire was coming down the mountain again towards our house and the wind shifted and blew it away,B次元官网网址� James said, describing how their home on Bonaparte Reserve a few kilometres north of Cache Creek was spared.
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Over the course of an hour on Friday they went from not knowing if someone would be able to rescue their cat to learning their home was likely safe and finally feelings of sadness and helplessness for others affected by the fires.
B次元官网网址淚t was rough. We heard some extended family had lost their house and friends who had lost their animals,B次元官网网址� Heather said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e here and we canB次元官网网址檛 do much to help and we feel so bad. Our community really comes together and we really support each other so thatB次元官网网址檚 weighing heavy on us being this far away.B次元官网网址�
Back at home, Heather runs her own small business online and James works on a dairy farm. The owners are hoping to rebuild after almost all of their 2,000 cows were saved.
B次元官网网址淲hen we are actually there I think it will hit us a little bit harder,B次元官网网址� James said.
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According to BC Wildlife Service, strong winds earlier this week caused the Ashcroft fire to double in size to over 10,000 hectares.
An update on Wednesday afternoon noted there were
Emergency Management BC deputy minister Robert Turner said that 7,886 people have registered at local emergency social services centres and 3,500 are taking advantage of the emergency lodging available.
The Daniels are happy to be in Ladysmith - living in a travel trailer they borrowed from a friend for the trip - but at the same time had to fight hard to access some of the same emergency support services available to those at the evacuation centre in Kamloops.
B次元官网网址淐oming here for our vacation was a treat and we saved up for it,B次元官网网址� Heather said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 stressful trying to figure out how weB次元官网网址檙e going to make it all work financially. We are just as evacuated as everybody else and there is funding for this and resources out there for people in our position.B次元官网网址�
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Finally, after phone calls to MLAs both at home and here on the island, the Cowichan Valley Regional District received permission from the province to give them B次元官网网址榤inimalB次元官网网址� help for food and other essentials such as diapers, but not for accommodations or clothing.
B次元官网网址淢y son doesnB次元官网网址檛 have any pants because we didnB次元官网网址檛 pack for colder weather,B次元官网网址� said Heather, adding that while her dad is here as support they also donB次元官网网址檛 want to be a burden. B次元官网网址淗e canB次元官网网址檛 afford to feed four extra people. Everybody is on a budget. ItB次元官网网址檚 not an easy thing to do.B次元官网网址�
They donB次元官网网址檛 have immediate plans to return home if the air quality is a risk to their childrenB次元官网网址檚 health and hope others who are displaced and facing similar challenges getting access to social services speak up.
Hearing about their situation, many local residents have reached out to help the family and the Daniels are grateful for the additional support.
B次元官网网址淟adysmith has been super, super good to us,B次元官网网址� Heather said.
