A piece of history in the Fraser Canyon has been destroyed by wildfires burning out of control in British Columbia.
Catherine Maynard says her family's properties have been lost in the Kookipi Wildfire on August 17.
"This was my family's whole world. So much was lost,” says Maynard in a post to social media. "My sister's home, my nephew's home, and the home of three other families.”
Two wildfires are raging in the Fraser Canyon and are growing daily causing people to flee from their homes and destroying property in its path. The Stein Mountain wildfire is 15 kilometres northwest of Lytton and has grown to 3,298 hectares. The nearby the Kookipi Creek wildfire, meanwhile, has burned 14,974 hectares.
Keefers Place was previously a support centre for the Canadian Pacific Railway, according to the family who now owns the property. Keefers Place was created and turned into permanent residents where seven families lived on the property.
"Keefers was never just a collection of buildings; it was a living legacy,” wrote Maynard. "It has been a hub of family and friendship, a place of healing and rest."
Maynard says the people who lived there are now homeless. The resident was not immediately available to comment on how the residents are coping.
"All their workshops and sheds are gone also,” she says in a Facebook post. “These were extensive because they were a self-sustaining property. They had a full mechanic shop, wood shop, wood mill, hall, trailers, machinery, woods sheds, animals, garlic field, and tons of gardens.”
No one was injured in the fire and two properties were spared.
"Thankfully and miraculously the fire skipped past my parents' house and one other,” says Maynard.
Chase Frigon says her aunt and uncle narrowly survived the fire.
"Thankfully they were able to get out in the nick of time with their lives and animals but not much else,” says Frigon.
Frigon says the fire rapidly engulfed the entire area. Unfortunately, she said, the area they live in doesn't qualify for fire insurance.
"All the years of hard work to buy their dream property and now all that is left is ashes," says Frigon.
Now, the families are trying to rebuild from the loss and have created a fundraiser to help.
"The loss of Keefers is not just a loss of buildings and belongings; it's the loss of a legacy, a unique and irreplaceable part of our shared heritage,” says Maynard.
Dry-lighting expected where fires are burning
The Stein Mountain wildfire saw significant growth on August 24, prompting the Lytton First Nation to evacuate properties.
BC Wildfire Service staff say that there is the potential for convection and dry lightning throughout the area on Friday.
"With this forecast, the possibility of localized gusty winds may influence fire behaviour,” says an information officer.
A planned ignite was completed on Thursday and ignition operations are expected to continue on Friday if conditions are favourable.
Highway 1 is closed as the Kookipi wildfire crossed the highway in the vicinity of Jackass Mountain.
"Crews continue to work hard to protect vital infrastructure, including transmission lines, railways, and Highway 1, along with working to limit growth on the south and east portions of the fire,” says an information officer with the BC Wildfire Service.
Firefighters travel to help the fight
A fire camp has been set up in Boston Bar for firefighters fighting the two wildfires.
Photographs from Boston Bar show firefighters from across B.C. stationed in the community to help.
A staff member with Chilliwack River Valley Fire Department says their members are supporting BC Wildfire Service and the Boston Bar Fire Department.
"We’d like to thank the locals for all their support, and keeping the team fed! Also, some of the four-legged residents seem to have taken a liking to our guys when out on patrol,” says the post.
Firefighters were seen holding and posing with pet cats.
