Former Manitoba Families Displaced By B.C. Wildfires

Terry and Meg Fehr left home this summer thinking they would return to Williams Lake, B.C after a planned two week vacation to Manitoba.

Instead of a relaxing getaway, they're currently enduring a tense waiting game as wildfire rages in the region.

"It's hard to come to grip with the fact there's blazing forest fires within a couple kilometers of your home... it's pretty surreal," Terry said. "When we left there wasn't even smoke in the air."

Thankfully, Terry explained some of their irreplaceable items, such as wedding photos and other valuables, were saved by friends before the evacuation.

He added despite the difficult situation, they've been overwhelmed by the generosity of Canadians as friends and neighbours have found shelter in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

"It's incredible how the entire country has opened up and said, 'we want to take care of you B.C,'" Terry said.

While encouraged by spending time with family in Manitoba, Terry explained the situation has reinforced how Williams Lake has become home, "we want to be back with the people that are working through the same struggle we are," he said.

Lisa Froom, a former Emerson resident who moved to Vernon B.C nine years ago, is roughly five hours away from the biggest fires occurring in Williams Lake. She noted the smoke is heavy in the small valley where she lives.

"The smoke is definitely unpleasant. I am very grateful that I don't have any breathing issues, but I can only imagine people who do struggle with respiratory conditions. It must be very difficult," said Froom.

She explained many people are wearing breathing masks in the area.

"You can definitely smell it in the air. We have hills and mountains around us and it's now really hard to see the peaks because of the smoke."

Froom noted there is a minor fire burning roughly twenty minutes away from their residence, but is seventy-five percent contained at the moment.

"The last I heard there was about eight homes lost," said Froom. "I know we did have some pretty strong winds, but today (Tuesday) is just a light breeze and the temperatures have cooled in the last couple of days. Unless there's unforeseen circumstances of lightning striking somewhere, we should be safe."

Froom noted earlier this year the area experienced a flood, but the terrain and landscape of the area caused the water to run down the hills and into the lakes, leaving the hill sides and everything else extremely dry.

Around 550 people have evacuated into the Vernon area from Williams Lake and other areas affected by the wildfires in B.C.

"Some people have left (from Williams Lake) voluntarily over the last week and it was two or three days ago that they actually had an evacuation order," said Froom.

She noted lots of people from Williams Lake have connections to Vernon, "we have some really good friends who are from Williams Lake. She is living here in Vernon, but her family is up in Williams Lake. She was in close contact with them and they are now all down here staying with a relative in Vernon."

For a city of approximately 40,000 people Froom said they've noticed more traffic and more people throughout the City.

The provincial government has implemented a province wide fire ban at this time.