It was an after-hours banging on the office windows that first alerted Lytton village staff that the fire was coming.
In a statement, B.C. town staff have laid out, from their perspective, how quickly the events of past week unfolded — and the state of devastation at what now remains of their home in the fire’s wake.
It was June 30, and the village had endured drought conditions for several months. For the past week, Lytton had been suffering through the massive heat wave that had hit B.C. For three consecutive days, the village had set Canadian records for high temperatures, topping out the day before at 49.6 C.
The volunteer firefighters were already battling blazes — the first fires were by the river. The local RCMP had already begun evacuating residents from areas closest to the fire. Then came the knocking at the windows: Within minutes Mayor Jan Polderman had ordered a full evacuation of the small interior B.C. village, 170 kilometres southwest of Kamloops.
With dry conditions, high heat and a brisk wind driving it, the fire whipped through the town at a ferocious speed. Within hours, most of the town was blackened.
“Nearly every home in the centre of the Village is gone,†wrote Lytton staff in the statement. “Where many buildings stood is now simply charred earth.â€
There were two fatalities and several injuries in the inferno, the release confirmed, although the victims were not identified. Houses across the highway from the village were spared, but still had no electricity, sewer or water.
“Infrastructure has been destroyed. What has not been melted, incinerated or damaged beyond repair has been compromised to the point of being unsafe,†said staff in the release.
“For those looking at heartbreaking pictures of our Village, please understand that if a wall is standing, it does not mean there is anything on the other side of it.â€
Now the task turns to assessing the extent of the damage, said the release.
Experts will attempt to establish if the village’s watershed has been contaminated by fire retardants, and whether there is a danger of toxic chemical exposure among the smouldering remains.
And the village is co-ordinating with the RCMP to search amongst the charred wreckage for any further victims.
“We are a small community that has been devastated and we are all still reeling from the destruction of our homes, the tragic loss of life and the enormous impact this will have on us, both personally and financially, for years to come,†said the release.
“But we are Lytton, we are strong and we will rebuild our homes and businesses, rekindle our friendships and community, stronger and more enduring than ever.â€
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation