With this year’s exceptional drought, it was only a matter of time before major wildfires would break out in this area.
And break out they certainly did. First there were fires to the east at Rock Creek and Sidley Mountain, as well as fires just over the border on Thursday.
A day later, the Testalinden Creek and Wilson’s Mountain fires broke out to the north and west, the former just outside Osoyoos.
It was a perfect storm, with powerful winds spreading flames down the mountains. Even many long-time residents don’t recall seeing anything quite this horrendous.
It seems like a miracle that more homes weren’t lost in these fires – although at last count Rock Creek lost 30 homes and 15 additional structures. Rather than a miracle though, it is thanks to the enormous efforts of first responders and many volunteers and community members pulling together.
More about that in a minute though.
A terrifying experience such as this brings out the best in people and also the worst. Before looking at our better side, there are some whose actions need to be questioned.
Although not yet proven, it is widely believed that the terrible Rock Creek fire was caused by a smoker irresponsibly tossing a lit cigarette butt out a vehicle window.
We see this regularly, though the results aren’t always this tragic.
What kind of sociopathic idiots do this?
Probably they aren’t the people reading this, but readers can help by recording information and reporting it when they see this happen.
And lawmakers need to look at much steeper penalties that not only act as a deterrent, but also take into account the difficulty catching and convicting these scum.
Then there are people who treated the fires as entertainment, sometimes stopping their cars right on the travelled portion of the highway to watch, or interfering with the work of first responders in threatened areas.
Curiosity is natural, but please consider whether your presence is just getting in the way. And if you must watch, get right off the road and keep your distance.
And then there is the drone person. Yes, drones have their uses when used responsibly, but what kind of self-centred moron flies a drone in an area where there are low-flying helicopters and planes fighting a wildfire?
Not only is it dangerous, but it’s also illegal.
Fortunately, a situation like this brings out the best in most people, and here some thanks are due.
To the firefighters, police, search and rescue volunteers, emergency centre volunteers and everyone else to worked non-stop through Friday night and the early hours Saturday morning and beyond, we owe our tremendous gratitude.
These people often put their lives on the line, enduring terrifying and physically demanding situations to save the rest of us.
A number of our local elected officials and their staff members also worked through the night co-ordinating the response and communicating with the public.
But many ordinary people in the community also pulled together to do their part as well.
Whether they took in children or pets of neighbours, helped to secure livestock, or worked to protect their neighbourhoods, these people also merit recognition.
Hopefully we won’t have to go through something like this again anytime soon.
But adversity brought out the best in our communities and those who pulled together at this difficult time deserve our heartfelt thanks.
