'I've never seen anything like this': Saanich firefighters aid wildfire fight
Crews responded to a brush fire in Thetis Lake Park Monday night -- knocking it down before it grew beyond one acre in size, leaving a mop-up job that was wrapped up Tuesday afternoon -- but not before the flames left nearby residents, like Deborah Danby, scared for their lives.
“That was one of the most terrifying nights of my life,” said Danby on Tuesday. “My family were trapped on the other side of the park -- we had our bikes out, we were ready to ride out on one of the trails out back there.”
In the Okanagan -- where teams from across the province, including municipal firefighters from Vancouver Island have been battling brutal flames -- officials confirmed around 200 homes in the region were damaged or destroyed.
A team of four municipal firefighters from Saanich have been helping protect homes in the West Kelowna area since last Friday, arriving when conditions were at their worst.
“It was basically an inferno and we were triaging houses when we went in,” said Platoon Captain Aaron Charlton, one of the members of the Saanich team. “Some were maybe too far gone, and we moved on to the next one -- so one would be gone and we could save five after protecting exposures from that one that might have been engulfed in flames,” said Charlton.
Despite the obvious heartbreak, no lives were lost, and the combined efforts of wildfire and structure firefighters is credited with preserving thousands of homes.
“I’ve never seen anything like this - -and even talking to firefighters across the province – we’ve never seen anything like this,” said Charlton.
Meanwhile, View Royal fire department confirmed Wednesday that the brush fire in Thetis Lake Park was out, but a team from the CRD was patrolling the area to ensure nothing reignited.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.