B.C. Premier Christy Clark flew into Oliver Sunday morning to view the devastation caused by wildfires in and around Oliver and Osoyoos. Clark thanked firefighters and volunteers for a job well done and also got a big hug from Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff, while Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes looked on. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
Mayor Sue McKortoff and the other four members of Town of Osoyoos council took the time to praise all first responders and local citizens who rallied to assist those impacted by the devastating fires that swept across the region this past weekend.
The hard work and dedication of local and provincial firefighting personnel who worked endless hours to try and bring numerous fires under control was impressive and the response by local citizens who opened their homes and hearts to try and lend a helping hand was equally overwhelming, she said.
“It has been a horrible experience for many, many people,” said McKortoff.
The response by RCMP officers, fire services personnel and town staff to assist those impacted by the fires was magnificent, she said.
“These people have all gone out of their way to help people,” she said. “They’ve all done a fantastic job.”
McKortoff made the short trip to Oliver on Saturday morning to personally meet and greet B.C. Premier Christy Clark, Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson and Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
Clark thanked all of the emergency response personnel who were working incredibly long hours to try and bring the devastating fires under control and all of the local citizens who were trying to assist those in need.
An emergency evacuation centre was set up at the Oliver Community Centre to provide temporary housing and assistance to the dozens of people ordered evacuated from their homes because of fires in the Rock Creek and Oliver area.
The Sonora Community Centre was opened Friday evening as a temporary home for exhausted provincial firefighters battling fires.
McKortoff applauded the effort of everyone trying to help during a very difficult time.
“I just had a big smile on my face and was amazed at how hard they worked and how well they worked together,” she said.
It was shocking to wake up Friday morning and not be able to see across Osoyoos Lake as the sky was covered with black smoke and soot, said McKortoff.
“It felt to me like a war zone,” she said.
She joined Rick Jones, fire chief with the Osoyoos Fire Department, as he travelled up Richter Pass later Saturday morning to get a first-hand view of the damage caused by the fire near Kilpoola and Spotted Lake and was pleased to see local citizens directing traffic, said McKortoff.
Crews from FortisBC had already replaced a hydro pole that was badly burned by 10 a.m. Saturday in an effort to try and restore power for homeowners near Spotted Lake, she said.
It’s sad and tragic that 30 homes burned to the ground in the Rock Creek area, but bordering on miraculous that no one was killed or seriously injured when the fire burned terribly out of control starting Thursday afternoon, she said.
Everyone who tried to lend a helping hand should be applauded, she said.
“Thank you on a job well done,” she said. “This was an amazing experience and I’m just glad things turned out as well as they have because it could have been so much worse.”
Coun. Carol Youngberg said she was also impressed with how much Osoyoos residents rallied to try and help those impacted by the fire from across the region as much as humanly possible.
Youngberg noted local citizens would drop off food, clothing and other materials to assist those who were impacted by the fire at Troy’s Grill, Landsea Okanagan and MacDonald Realty in Osoyoos.
Coun. C. J. Rhodes praised everyone who helped, especially firefighters who risk so much to help people during tragedies like this.
“It’s a very, very high risk job and they put their lives on the line,” he said. “I’m absolutely blown away by the effort of every one of them during this crisis.”
Coun. Mike Campol said he’s “not often a fan of social media” but praised the benefits offered by citizens using Facebook and Twitter during this crisis.
Social media played an important role in informing the general public about the fires once they erupted across the region Thursday and Friday, said Campol.
Social media not only informed residents in danger to immediately leave certain areas, but also helped in rallying communities across the South Okanagan in providing assistance to those in need, he said.
Many Osoyoos residents and businesses provided assistance and it made him proud to call this town home, said Campol.
“It says everything about this community and it makes you very proud,” he said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
