ragdall
Global Moderator
Posts: 1,686
|
Post by ragdall on Jul 11, 2017 9:00:02 GMT
British Columbia was very hot and dry for a few days, then was hit with a series of nasty thunder storms that started hundreds of small wildfires. Several of the fires have grown and are near major travel routes and communities. My town has been spared so far. It's become a haven for people who were displaced by the fires. Our only challenge is that the main highway running north and south has been closed since Friday and none of the trucks that bring our grocery items can get through. There is an article here with some photos: www.surreynowleader.com/news/photos-wildfires-engulf-parts-of-b-c/
|
|
maeve
Member
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by maeve on Jul 11, 2017 12:42:21 GMT
Horrible and beautiful photos. I wondered how you were faring! Thanks for checking in, rags. How's your air quality today?
|
|
maeve
Member
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by maeve on Jul 12, 2017 21:14:35 GMT
|
|
ragdall
Global Moderator
Posts: 1,686
|
Post by ragdall on Jul 13, 2017 8:38:26 GMT
Hi Maeve, We're fine where we are, so far, thanks. Sometimes the sun is hidden behind red smoke, but smoke smell isn't noticeable on the ground as it has been in some past years. I've developed a cough that disturbs my sleep, but I think it's a cold, not the smoke.
Our town is the safe haven where evacuees are told to come. The news reports that we've taken in 3000 so far. A town south of us is on alert to evacuate if conditions worsen, 11,000 people live there. That number coming in will be difficult to deal with. Initially, people who offered to help were turned away. The town only wanted help from "trained volunteers". Now they are crying for more help. They'll certainly need it.
I check the interactive map often. My son and family lives at the end of a highway that runs through an area that is in "evacuation alert". If that road is closed they will not be able to leave easily until the fire is under control. There are several rough logging roads they could use to escape, farther into the forest, if the fire goes in their direction.
|
|
maeve
Member
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by maeve on Jul 13, 2017 11:27:11 GMT
Keeping you all in mind each day, rags. I'm glad you and yours are OK so far.
|
|
ragdall
Global Moderator
Posts: 1,686
|
Post by ragdall on Jul 16, 2017 21:52:18 GMT
All is well here so far. Needless to say, the fires and the uncertainty of how weather conditions will affect them, are on everyone's minds and a topic in most conversations. Local crews have been able to extinguish new lightning fires near town before they can grow enough to be a problem.
We have a smoke advisory in effect. -- Stay in the house with all doors and windows closed. If a cough develops from the smoke, go to a public building that has air conditioning. -- The smoke will be hard on the evacuees who are living in tent cities, campers or motor homes in public parking lots. About 7000 displaced people have registered here, many have been taken into the homes of friends, relatives, or generous strangers.
Our town had prepared for a further influx of over 12,000 from a town 3 hours south, but when their evacuation order came last night, it was because high winds had driven fire across the road between us and cut it off. With only one other route remaining for them to escape, and fires threatening that route as well, they were instructed to get out while they could and head south to a smaller town that was already overfilled with evacuees from other areas.
|
|
|
Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 17, 2017 6:01:43 GMT
scary
best wishes to all
|
|
maeve
Member
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by maeve on Jul 17, 2017 20:00:48 GMT
I remember smoke.
Just checking in, rags.
|
|
|
Post by meganl on Jul 17, 2017 20:32:43 GMT
Been offline with broken computer really sorry to hear this Hope the fires are out by now or soon hope you are all safe and well
|
|
maeve
Member
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by maeve on Jul 19, 2017 20:14:09 GMT
Checking in to learn how you are, rags.
Megan, I'm very glad to see you posting again. You've been missed!
|
|
maeve
Member
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by maeve on Jul 21, 2017 22:08:35 GMT
Any news, rags?
maeve
|
|
ragdall
Global Moderator
Posts: 1,686
|
Post by ragdall on Jul 22, 2017 10:33:05 GMT
The fires are still burning. We're safe. No fires are near to us. Today the air seemed fairly clear. I finally opened some windows and brought in cool fresh(?) air. There are over 9000 extra people living in my town until they can return to their own communities. The first town that was evacuated is allowing residents to return, but because a fire is still burning nearby, they must remain on alert to leave again on very short notice. An article in the local newspaper: www.princegeorgecitizen.com/news/local-news/prince-george-cares-for-another-small-city-9-300-plus-wildfire-evacuees-1.21300121I'm sorry that I haven't been keeping up here. I've been focusing on family concerns. My husband developed a very severe cough that the doctor believes is pneumonia. Tending to him has kept me busy. He has improved greatly now that he has an antibiotic. My son and his family have moved in with us until they can find a house to live in. He quit his job and sold their house in a town two hours away from here and found a teaching job here. They thought they'd found a house, but the price negotiations broke down at the last minute. I spent the past two days helping them move their belongings into storage as they had to turn their house over to the new owner today. I'm looking forward to having them living in the same town. I'll be able to attend more of the sports events and performances in which they participate, and I won't have to dread them making that long drive back and forth in winter. Tomorrow my daughter-in-law and I will go with a realtor to look at some houses.
|
|
maeve
Member
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by maeve on Jul 22, 2017 16:21:29 GMT
No obligations to report in daily of course, rags- just know that we'll be checking in with you when one or another of us stops by! So sorry for the many people suffering the effects of the fires. Thank you for the link to the article. Clearly your town is full of clear-thinking, practical and kind people. I'm impressed. (What lovely little girls in the first photo!)
What a busy summer for you! I'm relieved to learn your husband is feeling better. Pneumonia is nasty stuff! And family staying with you- so some slightly crowded fun and we'll hope, short term. Perhaps you and you daughter-in-law will find the perfect house!
|
|
|
Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 23, 2017 2:36:15 GMT
thanks for posting that article, rags.
We often have evacuations in bushfire season, but I've never heard of 9,000+ evacuees, we tend to have evacuations of individual families & small areas. In 2015 fires involved 100 people evacuating from 3 small communities, & another article mentions "hundreds" of people evacuating from another wide-spread bushfire.
sandra
|
|
ragdall
Global Moderator
Posts: 1,686
|
Post by ragdall on Jul 24, 2017 8:42:29 GMT
Maeve, People here tend to help one another whenever they can. We never know if/when we might be the ones needing help. Last summer, a town in northern Alberta, (the province next to ours,) was destroyed by a wildfire and people here donated and sent all the help they could to the residents who had to evacuate with little notice. Now people in that area have been paying it forward. They are bringing truckloads of supplies to evacuees here. Sandra, The number of evacuees in that article are only those who registered in our town. Many went to other places because they had family or friends there, or because the roads were already closed in this direction. There are over 40,000 people registered as displaced by the fires. Australia has sent us some of their finest to help out here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/australian-wildfire-experts-ready-to-help-wherever-needed-1.4215194Even though fires are still burning nearby, people have been allowed to go back to their homes in several areas where the towns are expected to be safe. They know that they may have to leave again if conditions change, but I'm sure it will be a big relief to go home. My husband seems to be doing much better. He's enjoying being waited on by me. I'm taking him to see his doctor in the morning to find out if anything showed in the chest x-ray he had. It has been busy and hectic, but I'm enjoying having my son's family living with us. My son has volunteered to make the dinners for all of us. I'm thrilled. He's a better cook than I am. The girls, (ages 10 and 13), and I picked enough Saskatoon berries in my backyard, Saturday, for two pies. After dinner I baked them while my son took the three children to check out their new free summer memberships at the YMCA. We all enjoyed hot pie with ice cream after they came back home from their workouts. My daughter-in-law and I found two affordable houses, Saturday, that have most of the features they are looking for. Monday there should be new listings. If there isn't a perfect house among those, she will make an offer on one of the houses that we liked on Saturday. Both of those houses are unoccupied. As soon as a mortgage is arranged they should be able to move into one. Time is running out to complete an inspection of the house, negotiate the price, and process paperwork in time to move in before school starts. It's important to know in which part of town they'll find a house to buy. The children must attend schools in whichever area they reside, (at the moment that would be my address). If they move into a house in a different area, after the school year begins, they would have to change schools. I hope that can be avoided.
|
|