100 Mile House residents return home after two anxious weeks
Couple’s ash-laden house still standing but other evacuees lost everything
The nearly 2,000 residents of 100 Mile House are breathing sighs of relief as they’ve been allowed to return home following the cancellation of an evacuation order.
The evacuation was ordered two weeks ago because of worries about the large Gustafsen fire burning to the west of the community. The conditions in the area have calmed enough to allow the safe return of residents to 100 Mile House.
Still, other parts of the Cariboo remain on edge as the weather forecast for Sunday afternoon was calling for gusts of wind up to 50 km/h, but B.C. Wildfire Service officials said the winds would likely die down by Monday. Wind gusts were also expected in the southeastern part of the province, along with possible dry lightning.
Williams Lake is still under evacuation order and “it’s hard to say right now” when residents would be allowed to return, fire information officer Navi Saini said.
“We are making progress,” but the dry conditions and the expected winds were still keeping the situation “fluid,” she said.
Most 100 Mile residents had evacuated south to Kamloops.
“We were very stressed and got on each other’s nerves,” Kathy Brown joked about the two weeks she and husband Brian spent away from their home, which is in a quiet retirement complex in 100 Mile House.
They stayed with Kathy’s niece in Kamloops. Her house backs on to Westsyde Park and the Browns quickly discovered that the park fills with daycamp kids every day. The solution?
“We’d go out for a drive and watch the planes coming and going (at the airport),” Brian said. “That was quite interesting.”
But the frequent smoky stretches in Kamloops would often force them back home.
The Browns couldn’t offer enough tributes about the graciousness of their hosts, but it was still a hard situation.
Kathy said the stress of the situation meant her “mind wouldn’t settle to read a book.” So she spent a lot of time cleaning instead.
Brian got to know the family dog, a chocolate lab. “I’m a dog person but we don’t have a dog in 100 Mile,” he said. “He’s a good buddy.”
The ordeal has turned out be a good community building experience, the couple felt.
“We made connections with a lot of people around the area that we never really had anything to do with,” Brian said. “I ran into a young guy who I used to coach rugby when he was in high school. It was really great to connect with him again.”
Kathy said many emotional barriers were dropped, friends and neighbours having taken to sharing hugs for instance. “You’d never hug someone in 100 Mile before,” she said.
The Browns’ house didn’t suffer any damage and they won’t need to make a claim, but there’s ash everywhere, including inside.
They also had to leave in a rush so there were a few dirty dishes left in the sink, leaving the house with a bit of a stink.
And out back, the sewer seems to have run dry and so there’s a stink out there too.
Others weren’t so lucky, they know this first-hand.
“We ran into a friend of ours who lost everything,” Kathy said. “We had a good cry and hug. I’m the one who just started crying.”
Their friend still isn’t allowed back into the area as some outlying areas are still under evacuation order.
Emergency Management B.C.’s Chris Duffy said there are still 30,000 evacuees in the province. More than 47,000 people have registered as evacuees at one point or another with the Red Cross so far this fire season.
“Remain vigilant,” he said. “It’s still very dry conditions.”
Officials say people returning to their homes should be cautious about food in their refrigerators as power cuts may have affected their home.
People should also make sure to take photos of their home before moving back in as they will be useful in making insurance claims.
The return of people to 100 Mile House and the nearby areas has “been very smooth,” said Norm Parkes, executive director, highways operations for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The evacuation of the town was equally orderly, the Browns said.
“I know (mayor) Mitch Campsall; when I saw him I gave him a handshake, he’s done a hell of a job,” Brian said.