Laurence Desjardins says the wind was loud enough to keep her awake through the night as white ash fell around the tent where she was camping with friends on a glacier in B.C.B次元官网网址檚 West Kootenay region.

They knew they had to leave as quickly as possible.

B次元官网网址淏ut it was nighttime, so we thought, letB次元官网网址檚 wait to have a bit of sun and then we will reassess and leave,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淏ut then the sun just never came. Even at 5:45 a.m. it was super dark, because of the smoke weB次元官网网址檝e been told. And the ashes were (now) red. It was like fire ashes.B次元官网网址�

The group of four friends are home after an unexpected change in the wind allowed them to be pulled off the Macbeth Ice Fields, northeast of Kaslo, B.C., on Thursday, in what was a challenging helicopter rescue as wildfires burn in the region.

Desjardins said in an interview on Monday that the group of experienced hikers had planned a multiday trip and were given the OK that the roads were open.

B次元官网网址淭he air was kind of thick, but we could still easily breathe and talk. So, we were like, B次元官网网址極K letB次元官网网址檚 go, letB次元官网网址檚 continue.B次元官网网址� When we arrived at the glacier, it was still OK. We had dinner outside. We set up our camp,B次元官网网址� she said.

They found out the road was closed hours after they entered, she said.

When it became clear the next morning they would need to be rescued, they used the SOS feature on an iPhone to send out their location.

Mark Jennings-Bates, with Kaslo Search and Rescue, said the SOS feature gave rescuers the womenB次元官网网址檚 precise location, which was key in very challenging circumstances.

B次元官网网址淪o, the most direct route would have taken us up a valley that was completely engulfed in flames and smoke,B次元官网网址� he said, noting that the fire was burning from the valley bottom to the tops of the peaks.

B次元官网网址淲e couldnB次元官网网址檛 go over it, we couldnB次元官网网址檛 go higher, we couldnB次元官网网址檛 go through it,B次元官网网址� he said.

Instead, The pilot was able to find a route in from the north which still involved going over some burning areas but allowed the helicopter to pick up the women near the edge of an alpine lake.

B次元官网网址淎nd then finally, when we got to the lake, it was a little bit tricky to land the helicopter, because a lot of different winds that were coming from different directions,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淪o, I would say he did a stellar job in getting in there. Which is great. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what we hope the pilots can do.B次元官网网址�

The pilot would go on to make the trip a second time to pick up rescuers who were initially left behind to make room for the hikers in the helicopter.

Jennings-Bates said the women were prepared for the hike they had planned and had taken important steps like packing enough food, dressing appropriately and talking to locals before they left.

B次元官网网址淭hey sort of got a check in all the boxes. It was just an unfortunate day,B次元官网网址� he said.

Desjardins said the friends were emotional as they were being flown out of danger because they could see trees around the trail they had hiked in on had been burned.

B次元官网网址淭he real heroes of this story are the search-and-rescue team. These guys are doing this unpaid, on their time B次元官网网址� and they were just incredible,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚 really felt like a kid looking up at superheroes or something. They were incredible.B次元官网网址�

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press