Angie Thorne heard about what would come to be known as the Elephant Hill wildfire long before most people did, on the evening of Thursday, July 6.
香蕉视频直播淚 got a notification about the fire,香蕉视频直播� says Angie, who went out on the front porch of her home on the Ashcroft Reserve. She could see nothing from there, and went out on her back deck, where she could see a glow to the south.
香蕉视频直播淚 watched it for a bit, and got a text from [a member of the Ashcroft Volunteer Fire Department], asking what it looked like.香蕉视频直播� She sent him a picture via messenger and asked what was happening. 香蕉视频直播淗e told me they were waiting for the Forestry and they should be here soon. BC Wildfire Service got there around midnight, and went in with three small vehicles, left, and returned with two larger ones.
香蕉视频直播淎round 1:15 a.m. I said to my brother Mark 香蕉视频直播業 don香蕉视频直播檛 see the glow anymore,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 says Angie. She continued to watch until about 2 a.m., then said to Mark, 香蕉视频直播淟et香蕉视频直播檚 go for a drive up by the sandpit across from my house and see. We didn香蕉视频直播檛 see any indication that the fire was still moving, and I said to Mark 香蕉视频直播業 guess it香蕉视频直播檚 safe to go to bed.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
On the morning of July 7 Angie and her brother Dempsey had plans to drive to Kamloops, but stopped at the Band Office on the way. 香蕉视频直播淲e didn香蕉视频直播檛 see anything at first; then there was thick black smoke. I said 香蕉视频直播榃e香蕉视频直播檇 better get our butts home; this doesn香蕉视频直播檛 look good.香蕉视频直播� It was moving fast, with lots of black smoke and flames.香蕉视频直播�
Angie called her husband Randy, who was at work at the Basque Ranch, and rushed back to the house, where Angie lived with Randy, Dempsey, her daughter Kelsey, her granddaughter Nevaeh, and her son Andrew. 香蕉视频直播淲e stopped on the way to the house and saw Mark, and I asked if he got his family out. Everyone was in a panic.香蕉视频直播�
When Angie arrived at her house, family and friends were there to help. Angie threw some clothes into her fifth-wheel vehicle with their help, then saw smoke on the other side of the knoll across the road from her house, and told everyone they had to get out.She drove to her father香蕉视频直播檚 house on the reserve and found him trying to get up on the roof to water down the house. 香蕉视频直播淚 told him to get down. I香蕉视频直播檒l never forget the look my dad had on his face. It was one of fear, and seeing me in fear he got down and proceeded into the house to gather up Ruth and Shawn.香蕉视频直播�
Despite the smoke being so thick she didn香蕉视频直播檛 think she香蕉视频直播檇 make it round the corner, Angie says there were already looky-loos driving through the reserve, taking pictures. She made it to the bridge in Ashcroft, where she and Crystal Daniels, one of the helpers, started to stop vehicles from going up towards the reserve. 香蕉视频直播淪ome people were like 香蕉视频直播榃e just want to take pictures.香蕉视频直播� We were telling them it香蕉视频直播檚 dangerous, and advised against it. But some didn香蕉视频直播檛 listen, and still proceeded. The RCMP arrived and took over the task, and weren香蕉视频直播檛 allowing anyone up that way.
香蕉视频直播淥ne policeman asked if [the fire] could have been from asparagus burning. He obviously hadn香蕉视频直播檛 been here long, because anyone that has been here for a long time knows that香蕉视频直播檚 done in April/May.香蕉视频直播�
Randy called, to say he was at the house, and Angie told police she had to go see if her husband was okay. Randy, like her father before him, was up on the roof, and Angie told him to get down. She headed back to Ashcroft, thinking that Randy was following with their truck and trailer. She waited 10 minutes, but there was no sign of Randy.
香蕉视频直播淚 was going to go back up, even though the police said it was dangerous,香蕉视频直播� says Angie. 香蕉视频直播淭hen I saw him come around the corner.香蕉视频直播� She found out later that Randy had taken the truck and trailer through the sand, where he briefly got stuck.
香蕉视频直播淩andy thought he had time, but he didn香蕉视频直播檛. Thank God Nevaeh went with friends. She would have been traumatized.香蕉视频直播�
Angie says that 27 people lost their homes on the reserve that day: three children under the age of nine; 13 males; and 11 females. Eight of the adults were elders. Eleven members of Angie香蕉视频直播檚 family were directly affected.
Angie says she had an emotional breakdown when they returned to Ashcroft. They decided to drive to the Legacy Park, where they set up their trailer, and soon many community members had come to the park.
香蕉视频直播淓veryone started congregating at our camp. People had no place to go.香蕉视频直播�
Community members brought a spaghetti dinner for everyone, but Angie says that most of the plates and cutlery from the trailer were up at the house, as they needed cleaning after a recent trip. 香蕉视频直播淭here was no power, and cell service wasn香蕉视频直播檛 good. People in the family were freaking out, because they didn香蕉视频直播檛 know if everyone was okay.
香蕉视频直播淚t was pretty scary: people didn香蕉视频直播檛 know where other community members were.香蕉视频直播�
Volunteers from Samaritan香蕉视频直播檚 Purse went with Angie to the site of her house, to see if they could recover any items. 香蕉视频直播淚 didn香蕉视频直播檛 think they香蕉视频直播檇 find much, but we found a few items. There was a rock with my granddaughter香蕉视频直播檚 footprint painted on it. I don香蕉视频直播檛 know how it survived. She made it when she was two, and she香蕉视频直播檚 nine now.香蕉视频直播�
Angie, Randy, Kelsey, and Nevaeh are currently being billeted in a house on the Mesa in Ashcroft. The billeting came via Emergency Social Services (ESS) until January 31, 2018, at which time Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada took over. Angie says there has been little communication from the band about what is happening regarding replacement houses for those who lost their homes.
香蕉视频直播淲e were told in October that the band wasn香蕉视频直播檛 ready for a housing meeting yet, and there香蕉视频直播檚 been nothing since. There香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of frustration. The ESS and Emergency Operation Centre were very helpful, and we were having meetings every two weeks.
香蕉视频直播淲e thought things were going well. But when people got back into the band office, no one paid attention to us, and there香蕉视频直播檚 no support of any kind.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e looking for a concrete statement about housing. We want to be involved in the process. We shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have to be running around looking for information; it should flow to us, and be respectful. And a lot of elders don香蕉视频直播檛 have Facebook or email, so they香蕉视频直播檙e relying on me to be their eyes and ears.香蕉视频直播�
She says she has heard that the triplex on the reserve 香蕉视频直播� the newest building on the site, and which was destroyed in the fire 香蕉视频直播� will not be replaced, and wonders what will happen to the three people who were living there.
香蕉视频直播淎ll the community members are affected, and it香蕉视频直播檚 very stressful to try to answer questions we don香蕉视频直播檛 know the answers to. It香蕉视频直播檚 also very frustrating for our members to try to move forward without a big part of the plan. What does forward look like?香蕉视频直播�
Angie says the children have really been impacted by the fire, and that she is setting up some extra support for Nevaeh at school. 香蕉视频直播淪he has good days and bad days. She lost her dog, and sometimes she gets triggered and breaks down. We香蕉视频直播檙e arranging some emotional and mental support for her.香蕉视频直播�
In the meantime, Angie says that she and her family and the other community members are just trying to live day to day and deal with their emotions.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 frustrating to sit with elders, who are crying. There are 13 males, all single, all living in hotels. My dad is in a kitchenette. It香蕉视频直播檚 tough on them.
香蕉视频直播淪ome are in rooms at the River Inn, and they say 香蕉视频直播楴o one cares, I have no home to go to.香蕉视频直播� When you hear these stories it香蕉视频直播檚 very frustrating.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 starting to get personal, with all the family members involved. The mental, emotional strain; it香蕉视频直播檚 almost unbearable.香蕉视频直播�
Angie pauses for a few moments. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 sorry to cry,香蕉视频直播� she says at last. 香蕉视频直播淏ut 11 of the 27 people affected are my immediate family. We live it every day.
香蕉视频直播淲e just want to be a part of the communication piece to help ease our minds and emotions about the situation we are all still living.香蕉视频直播�
editorial@accjournal.ca
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