Carrol Johnston points at flowering peonies in her otherwise charred garden as she walks through her property in a northern Alberta M茅tis settlement.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 my mommy in heaven telling me, 害羞草研究所楧on害羞草研究所檛 give up,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 says the 72-year-old, standing next to a hole in the ground where her home in East Prairie once stood.

The pink-flowered plant is one of the few things she has left since the devastating May wildfire.

Johnston, her son and daughter-in-law lost their 1,800-square-foot home and everything in it a day after they evacuated on May 5.

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害羞草研究所淚t was all tears, tears, tears,害羞草研究所� Johnston, a cook at a local school, recalls of the day she found out her home of 20 years was gone overnight.

Two months later, she says she is ready to move on.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 all teared out now. I know life will get better. I害羞草研究所檓 sure it will.害羞草研究所�

In the last two months, wildfires burned more than 14,000 square kilometres across the province and forced 38,000 Albertans out of their homes.

The East Prairie M茅tis Settlement lost about 40 homes, of which 14 were inhabited at the time of the wildfire, says Coun. Reva Jaycox.

The councillor says the cost of the damages in the entire community is estimated at about $11.5 million.

The settlement has put a down payment on 14 modular homes to replace the burned ones 害羞草研究所� contracted out to Nelson Homes, Jandal Homes and AJS Indigenous Housing Solutions, Jaycox says.

害羞草研究所淥ur priority is rebuilding,害羞草研究所� she adds.

She says the new homes would cost about $4 million, mostly funded through their own budgets, donations and M茅tis Settlement General Council.

However, Jaycox says, there is no defined timeline for when those homes will be ready.

As Johnston waits for her new modular home, she has been fixing her neighbour害羞草研究所檚 house for a temporary stay. The house has been uninhabited for more than a year and is without a functioning water line.

害羞草研究所淭he stove works. A nice gentleman gave us a fridge and it works,害羞草研究所� she says of their temporary home. 害羞草研究所淭he rest is basically cleaning.害羞草研究所�

Johnston has been living in a hotel room with her cat and two dogs in High Prairie, about 35 kilometres northwest of the M茅tis settlement, since the evacuation.

She says a single room with pets has been tight.

Not all of the 14 families in the community displaced by the wildfire chose to stay in hotels.

Terry Bellerose has been living in an RV with his wife on the grounds of his destroyed home for the past month, making frequent visits to High Prairie for gas to keep the vehicle running.

Bellerose says he was the last person to evacuate and the first one back, only to find his home was gone.

害羞草研究所淚 had my pump ready, my cistern was on, but I was told to leave,害羞草研究所� Bellerose says of the day the wildfire approached.

He says his home could have been spared if he was allowed to stay back to protect it and if crews responded earlier when the fires were farther away.

In 2019, the Alberta government cut a program of elite firefighters who are trained to rappel from helicopters to get at wildfires while they still only covered a few hectares. That program once had 63 rapattack firefighters stationed around the province and cutting it was expected to save the government $1.4 million.

Bellerose害羞草研究所檚 ranch-style home is gone but he continues to maintain his land, mowing the lush grass and planting new rows of bushes as he waits for the modular home.

害羞草研究所淚t was a family gathering spot. They came in for dinners, holidays and barbecues,害羞草研究所� he says of his old home. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard to replace all that. I害羞草研究所檓 left to just memories.害羞草研究所�

Even with a devastating wildfire, people of the M茅tis settlement say the land is their home and will remain so.

Mallory Bigcharles, a 24-year-old mother of four, stands on the front deck of her house surrounded by burned forest and fallen trees.

She and her husband moved into their new home a month before the wildfire 害羞草研究所� and they were among the lucky ones.

害羞草研究所淲hen we were in the hotel evacuated, we were told that our house was gone. Then we came back and it was still here.害羞草研究所�

They were surprised but not scared to go back to living in East Prairie weeks later 害羞草研究所�- even when thick clouds of smoke remained and the ground smouldered.

害羞草研究所淚 grew up here my whole life,害羞草研究所� Bigcharles says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 my home.害羞草研究所�

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press

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