What I Saw
August 25, 2023
- Hi, I'm Kloee from the Anglemont fire department. This last, however many days it's been, has been absolutely insane. We have seen structures lost, communities ripped from each other, and seen and felt absolute exhaustion. No one could have ever foreseen what has just happened. People were and some still are, terrified.
This situation is one most could never imagine, and throughout it, I have seen some of the most amazing things. I have seen fire fighters run back to fight a fire that destroyed their everything, I have seen communities come together and make sure one another were ok, I have seen people who fled, go to great lengths to get back to be there for their communities and those they love, even when it was not considered safe to do so. I have experienced and seen others get to a point of extreme sleep deprivation and not stop. I have seen perfect strangers devote hours trying to get supplies to those on this side of the lake, and even from within the communities the amount of food, water and Gatorade that has been donated to the various halls and community centers is nothing short of incredible.
There are very special ladies who have been using that food, making awesome meals for everyone, a team who has put their BBQ to very good use and businesses who have been operating under these stressful times to continue to provide the services we know. Teams of people who dropped it all to make these communities their top priority.
I have seen people in the community set up water tenders out of their pick up trucks and help with spot fires, and whole families with equipment who have been a part of the North Shuswap for decades, take a risk and jump in no questions asked. I have seen stores drop their prices to 50 percent off everything and give away free premium gas, and still provide a service even when they were scared. Everyone did these things without even thinking twice, because that is why this place is so great.
I would like to say thank you. Thank you to every person who had any part in making this emergency even a little bit easier. It is not something most will ever forget. The firefighters from Scotch Creek, Celista and Anglemont are structural firefighters. What we have been doing is what we train for. We have the tools, the knowledge and the skill sets (thanks to the amazing training we receive) to do whatever we can to help who ever we can, and that is what we are still doing today and will always do. We have worked along side our co teams as we would for any structure fire or brush fire, the only difference is we have had to do that with, at times, less manpower, less apparatus (trucks,) no power and very little sleep while battling a monster 40,000 hectare fire.
A lot of us are trained in structure protection and wildland firefighting, but some aren't, and those who aren't are being trained and learning on the go, we have went from paid on call to shift working around the clock to help get back a sense of safety to these communities. One day we will have that feeling again. All of us are trying our best and are working our hardest. We have lost a lot, but we haven't lost it all.
There is something very special about the North Shuswap. I have heard time and time again from locals that this place gives them a feeling of home, and peace, but it’s not just because it's where we call home. It's because of the communities and the people, how we help each other, how we know each other and how we grow together.
I want everyone to know we will all be ok, we will get through this and we will be stronger because of it, no matter what hurdles are thrown in our way.
By Kloee Davis
