Five years ago, there was a fire in the Glen Rosa subdivision where my folks lived in Westbank, BC or West Kelowna as it has been renamed. Evacuated, we did not know where they were for 4 days. Perusing the news reports and all the pictures, I have a binder of picture of the fire and many of them include my parents' home and even one of the jeep with my Dad leaving his street. The car that crashed that day on the news was my Mom's car but she was fine. We did not know this until days later. With the fires burning in Canada today, one can not help but think about how fire and forest fires really affect people's lives.
Lake Okanagan not far from their home where helicopters could retrieve lots of water to douse the fire.
See the black in the distance, taken in 2011 on a visit. Fire fighters and civilians saved the Mill which you can see was very close to the Mill.
At the top of a ridge beside the highway, there is a kiosk that has 4 panels commemorating the fire and efforts made. My parents' home had a hedge burnt, some panels on the side of the house melted and some water damage from the helicopters saving their home. I am sure others in the neighbourhood have their own tales to tell.
Forest fires can often be prevented if humans are careful. Some do start from lightening strikes which can not. So as this fire season tends to be bad for many parts of the country, let's hope everyone stays safe. Here's to the firefighters that work hard every day- urban and country saving lives, homes and try to contain the massive forest fires.
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