As the gravity of the destruction from the Bradley Creek fire becomes more clear, those impacted are grappling with the emotional toll of losing everything. When the fire swept through on Saturday it reduced a once vibrant neighbourhood into smouldering rubble. With nowhere else to go, many evacuees spent the first night in the parking lot at Kal Tire Centre, the hockey rink in Vernon being used for emergency support services. That’s where Kevin Statham told CTV News about his harrowing escape from the flames. “I had a 40-foot wall of fire coming down at us,” he said. Statham and his wife made it out with little more than the clothes on their backs. “I got whatever I could get into my car. I had no time to go back and get my truck. We lost everything. It’s gone,” he said through tears. “That was my dad’s house. It wasn’t just mine. It’s bad.” While people access emergency support services at the hockey rink, volunteers from the Salvation Army offer drinks and snacks – and a sympathetic ear for those who need somebody to talk to. “As long as there’s people displaced, we’re going to be here to support them,” said Ron Cartmell, a pastor corps officer with the organization. “It’s the Salvation Army; that’s part of who we are. We’re going to be there to help people.” He encouraged anybody who want to make a donation to visit the Salvation Army website where there are options to choose which community impacted by B.C. wildfires they would like to support. Statham’s house was among an estimated 200 leased by non-members that were lost on the Okanagan Indian Band Reserve. The First Nation confirms 30 member families also lost their homes. Chief Dan Wilson said he surveyed the damage in a helicopter with B.C. Wildfire Service staff. “It looked like a war zone. I didn’t recognize my community,” he said. Wilson wants to emphasize the fire destroyed more than buildings. The homes included precious family mementos, artwork, and ceremonial regalia. “To see the long-time elders that I’ve known all my life, the look on their faces because of their homes that were lost, really broke my heart because…there’s just no words for it,” he said, his voice trailing off. A full damage assessment has not happened – because the danger is not over yet. “Yesterday there was a spot fire that broke out within our community again because there’s still hot spots,” Wilson said. “That’s why we can’t allow members back into the evacuated areas yet.” He said it will take years for the community to rebuild.
