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.
害羞草研究所淚 got a notification about the fire,害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淚 watched it for a bit, and got a text from [a member of the Ashcroft Volunteer Fire Department], asking what it looked like.害羞草研究所� She sent him a picture via messenger and asked what was happening. 害羞草研究所淗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.
害羞草研究所淎round 1:15 a.m. I said to my brother Mark 害羞草研究所業 don害羞草研究所檛 see the glow anymore,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 says Angie. She continued to watch until about 2 a.m., then said to Mark, 害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 go for a drive up by the sandpit across from my house and see. We didn害羞草研究所檛 see any indication that the fire was still moving, and I said to Mark 害羞草研究所業 guess it害羞草研究所檚 safe to go to bed.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
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. 害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 see anything at first; then there was thick black smoke. I said 害羞草研究所榃e害羞草研究所檇 better get our butts home; this doesn害羞草研究所檛 look good.害羞草研究所� It was moving fast, with lots of black smoke and flames.害羞草研究所�
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. 害羞草研究所淲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.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檚 house on the reserve and found him trying to get up on the roof to water down the house. 害羞草研究所淚 told him to get down. I害羞草研究所檒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.害羞草研究所�
Despite the smoke being so thick she didn害羞草研究所檛 think she害羞草研究所檇 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. 害羞草研究所淪ome people were like 害羞草研究所榃e just want to take pictures.害羞草研究所� We were telling them it害羞草研究所檚 dangerous, and advised against it. But some didn害羞草研究所檛 listen, and still proceeded. The RCMP arrived and took over the task, and weren害羞草研究所檛 allowing anyone up that way.
害羞草研究所淥ne policeman asked if [the fire] could have been from asparagus burning. He obviously hadn害羞草研究所檛 been here long, because anyone that has been here for a long time knows that害羞草研究所檚 done in April/May.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淚 was going to go back up, even though the police said it was dangerous,害羞草研究所� says Angie. 害羞草研究所淭hen I saw him come around the corner.害羞草研究所� She found out later that Randy had taken the truck and trailer through the sand, where he briefly got stuck.
害羞草研究所淩andy thought he had time, but he didn害羞草研究所檛. Thank God Nevaeh went with friends. She would have been traumatized.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淓veryone started congregating at our camp. People had no place to go.害羞草研究所�
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. 害羞草研究所淭here was no power, and cell service wasn害羞草研究所檛 good. People in the family were freaking out, because they didn害羞草研究所檛 know if everyone was okay.
害羞草研究所淚t was pretty scary: people didn害羞草研究所檛 know where other community members were.害羞草研究所�
Volunteers from Samaritan害羞草研究所檚 Purse went with Angie to the site of her house, to see if they could recover any items. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 think they害羞草研究所檇 find much, but we found a few items. There was a rock with my granddaughter害羞草研究所檚 footprint painted on it. I don害羞草研究所檛 know how it survived. She made it when she was two, and she害羞草研究所檚 nine now.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淲e were told in October that the band wasn害羞草研究所檛 ready for a housing meeting yet, and there害羞草研究所檚 been nothing since. There害羞草研究所檚 a lot of frustration. The ESS and Emergency Operation Centre were very helpful, and we were having meetings every two weeks.
害羞草研究所淲e thought things were going well. But when people got back into the band office, no one paid attention to us, and there害羞草研究所檚 no support of any kind.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e looking for a concrete statement about housing. We want to be involved in the process. We shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have to be running around looking for information; it should flow to us, and be respectful. And a lot of elders don害羞草研究所檛 have Facebook or email, so they害羞草研究所檙e relying on me to be their eyes and ears.害羞草研究所�
She says she has heard that the triplex on the reserve 害羞草研究所� the newest building on the site, and which was destroyed in the fire 害羞草研究所� will not be replaced, and wonders what will happen to the three people who were living there.
害羞草研究所淎ll the community members are affected, and it害羞草研究所檚 very stressful to try to answer questions we don害羞草研究所檛 know the answers to. It害羞草研究所檚 also very frustrating for our members to try to move forward without a big part of the plan. What does forward look like?害羞草研究所�
Angie says the children have really been impacted by the fire, and that she is setting up some extra support for Nevaeh at school. 害羞草研究所淪he has good days and bad days. She lost her dog, and sometimes she gets triggered and breaks down. We害羞草研究所檙e arranging some emotional and mental support for her.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 tough on them.
害羞草研究所淪ome are in rooms at the River Inn, and they say 害羞草研究所楴o one cares, I have no home to go to.害羞草研究所� When you hear these stories it害羞草研究所檚 very frustrating.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 starting to get personal, with all the family members involved. The mental, emotional strain; it害羞草研究所檚 almost unbearable.害羞草研究所�
Angie pauses for a few moments. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 sorry to cry,害羞草研究所� she says at last. 害羞草研究所淏ut 11 of the 27 people affected are my immediate family. We live it every day.
害羞草研究所淲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.害羞草研究所�
editorial@accjournal.ca
Like us on and follow us on
