‘I Hope Reinforcements Arrive Soon’: A Wildfire Diary

The mountain behind his home was on fire Wednesday morning and flames licked at his backyard, but Attila Banhegyi remained. For how much longer, he didn’t know.

In early July, Banhegyi watched as a small grass fire grew into a large blaze outside North Bend, the small Fraser Canyon community where he operates the local landfill. Over the next two weeks Banhegyi published a series of updates on the local Facebook page as the fire drew nearer to North Bend and Boston Bar, the small community across the river where he lives with his wife and two young children.

Banhegyi’s posts, informed by his boots-on-the-ground wildland firefighting training, chronicled the Brunswick Creek wildfire’s progress, the intense battle to stop it and the everyday life that continued despite the nearby flames and the uncertainty of the future.

[Editor’s note: The following has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Banhegyi’s posts and thoughts reflect his limited knowledge at the time of writing. In an email, a BC Wildfire Service spokesperson said Banhegyi’s perspective is valuable to understand the experience of wildfire. They said some details were incorrect and reiterated the importance of using information from official sources.]

July 3, 9:50 a.m.: ‘I’m finding the response a bit odd’

The fire has made it to the ridge now and will likely start rolling down on the other side overnight but seems to be fanning out with its perimeter growing. Many trees were falling with insect-damaged trees burning from within.

Generally ranging between Rank 2 and 4. Spoke with BC Wildfire Service who didn’t have much information other than 35 bodies will be on it at 8 a.m.

One thing from today that was weird was to get told to leave earlier in the day while five of us held a line at a logging road on the west side. We were told a bomber would be dropping retardant in five to 15 minutes so we had to get out of there. But an hour later there was none and it had jumped the road so went back out there.

Two helis did respond moderately for which I am grateful. It may be the smoke talking but I’m finding the response to this one a bit odd overall. BCWS pulled out tonight and our local volunteer fire department was on it all night again. (Thank you.)

What I would really love is to see some clear communication from BCWS so nearby property owners can plan accordingly. If the plan is to let it burn let us know, don’t trick us to leave a vantage point so it can take off from a thinned canopy on private land into unmanaged dense Crown land.

July 6, 11:11 p.m.: ‘The fire is creeping down’

I was informed today that the fire break above North Bend was started thanks to my previous post. They weren’t aware of the old break there and jumped on the info right away!

It’s now half built from the south side. I flagged down a BCWS truck to inform them on my way back from North Bend and offered to run the equipment if they were in a pinch.

They didn’t know the fire break wasn’t complete and I was told no about operating; I can understand that there’s liability involved there. Our local fire department is pulled off the fire too and BCWS has taken over. Hoses are laid across North Bend prepped.

Chaumox Road looks good with lines and bladders and pumps set up. The fire is actively burning on the west side of it in many locations. It’s the line to hold.

North Bend desperately needs the break to be finished, a wet line put on it and the suppression infrastructure completed in town.

There’s a lot of candling above North Bend, which seems to be the largest pocket of homes that are threatened by the fire currently. Fifty-five to 60 homes? The fire is creeping down from the ridge and rolling debris is starting spot fires lower down that could be caught by the break if it were to be completed, but the north side is unfinished. I’m praying that will be finished and North Bend will be saved.

Structure protection is on site, which is good!

July 9, 12:38 a.m.: ‘The ground crews are full of superhuman heroes’

Sorry for no North Bend/Chaumox Road update yesterday; was too exhausted as the fire made it back down to the road at Brunswick Creek and the high-voltage power transmission tower.

There are a lot of challenges in this terrain and environment, and the ground crews are full of superhuman heroes. It’s an honour to witness how capable and hard-working and level-headed many of these rock stars are, including our local fire department, who responded to our call in the nick of time during the gap between day and night shifts of BCWS ground crews. Katherine Walters single-handedly put out a spot fire that jumped Chaumox Road, while Crys Pruim, Diana Wilson, Justin Jeremy Cairns and Amit Upadhyaya used the cannon to prevent vehicles and other equipment from being consumed by the blaze.

Then BCWS arrived and worked through the night to set up over 1,000 feet of sprinklers and an "unlimited water" supply line. Last night the old break that was reopened halfway behind North Bend was also extended to the north until a small creek. There was no wet line put in yet by that point.

I heard (didn’t confirm personally) that a second fire break was put in higher up behind North Bend with a wet line on it. Structure protection put sprinklers on homes at risk throughout the day.

Having two breaks and a wet line is reassuring coupled with the sprinklers and ground crews and local fire department at the ready. As long as we don’t get some wild wind changes in the next few days, I’m feeling much better about North Bend’s chances.

I also have a bit of concern about letting the mountainside burn too far south. As the prevailing winds go northeast, if the fire line gets southwest of Boston Bar, then Boston Bar gets right in the path of potential ember showers. It looks like holding the upper side of the road going to Scuzzy Creek is the path of least resistance to contain the fire since I get things must be stretched thin as the fire seems to grow in size faster than response can.

A significant spot fire started between the landfill and the train tracks, but fortunately crews put in significant efforts on it and got it out by the end of the day.

July 9, 11:03 p.m.: ‘We will need the rest’

Tonight’s update is the most positive I’ve felt since the outset of this Brunswick Complex.

On our end of town, we received favourable temperature, wind and humidity (despite no rain yet) and a helicopter!! The fire is predominantly burning in the duff layer and is a lower-rank fire. It will be reassuring once all that fuel is burned for years to come.

Where it did jump the break behind Barry’s house, crews are on it like hawks. I can see them patrolling regularly and when I’m not there I can see them doing so through my security camera system. Power is still operational in North Bend and I don’t know of any risk of that changing any time soon. Weather is expected to be even better for fire activity tomorrow with temps almost matching dew point and potentially a light drizzle as well.

There was a fire northwest of the landfill today that was mopped up and the one from yesterday reignited between the landfill and the tracks and that was fully extinguished as well.

Despite the fire being just above North Bend, and it jumping the break, I will sleep at ease tonight for the first time in a while. We will need the rest as this isn’t over yet. With the winds blowing towards the northeast as this fire falls behind our communities, we fall within its ember pathway if we get strong gusts of wind.

Most of my day involved conducting fire mitigation activities at the landfill alongside of Fraser Valley Regional District crews. FVRD water crews were also in the area making necessary repairs [to] water infrastructure that was compromised by the wildfire. The guys from the district that have been up here, like Dave Roblin, Matt and Brett Dyck, have been top-notch going above and beyond to help us out. We’ll be back at it in the morning.

I’d also like to shout-out the civilian crew who saved a cabin that was deemed “indefensible” by multiple departments. I won’t endorse such activity despite having participated in it.

Everyone has their own liability thresholds and I fully respect them and agree with them in the case of the crews. It’s different when it’s your own home or livelihood. But there’s definitely a unique form of fulfilment that is difficult to describe. Today I am filled with gratitude and hoping to have a couple “normal” days. Try and get some sleep. I’ve seen too many overtired people out there.

July 10, 11:07 p.m.: ‘I am feeling very protected’

FVRD Emergency Operations Centre reached out to me during the day offering support and asked that I direct residents to their website for the most recent and up-to-date information. I believe this is their website: https://www.fvrd.ca/.../emergency-operations-centre-eoc.html.

As per the link it was last updated July 9 at 9:50 a.m.

It is currently July 10, 10:40 p.m.

As residents might want some more recent info so I’ll share what I experienced today on the North Bend side.

Fire activity has reduced significantly (as expected with the weather).

Demobilization has begun on North Bend infrastructure, and crews have begun “mopping up” and getting rid of the “skunking” which is the remaining smouldering. Danger tree assessors will continue to conduct assessments for fallers to clear up hazards.

Both the Boston Bar and North Bend water reservoirs are at 100 per cent, which is great for this time of year! The water system on the south side of North Bend is also at 90 per cent capacity. The landfill water supply line was fully repaired with just a screen missing from the intake now. There is still no power north of the landfill. There is also now some concern of the watershed, but there was no retardant dropped within it and the fire burned so beautifully in that Doug fir stand that on first glance I think it’ll be fine.

Tonight I walked my children to the playground at the school and there’s a whole mini city set up filled with incredibly personable superheroes. We are loving this cooler weather, but I bet you they are too as most of them are tenting.

I’ll admit I was tempted to join the food line but actually came home to a wonderful meal my wife made. We had the pleasure of speaking with some ground crews who were super friendly even after a long shift. I think it was also valuable to them to see some of the faces of who they’re fighting for out there. If you think you’re “in shape” you don’t stand a chance compared to some of these folks. These people are truly the salt of the earth.

Heading home from there it felt a bit eerie to see the fire progression south (as seen in the main image). It was being hit by three helicopters relentlessly this afternoon and I can still hear them from home in Boston Bar. I have seen crews setting up bladders and infrastructure on Green Ranch Road, and it seems like Scuzzy FSR [forest service road] will be the next guard?

Don’t quote me on this but there may also be a back burn from there in play. I think having it extinguished is wishful thinking so we should prepare for the whole west side visible from Boston Bar burning. There is also some chatter about planning tactics for Spuzzum and Yale, and a second branch has begun setting up in Merritt due to the Ainslie fire. Wild how all this from a tiny roadside grass fire in our backyard.

Personally, I’ll be wrapping up in North Bend tomorrow and then start mitigating my home and neighbourhood in Boston Bar against potential ember showers. Some homes in Boston Bar have already had some mitigation efforts conducted by WDS (Wildfire Defense Systems) who are typically contracted by home insurance companies. There’s a couple of nimble spot fire trucks being assembled in town as well for added vigilance in case of such an event. But with the camp in town, I am feeling very protected and impressed by the current regime now that there’s an incident management team in place.

July 12, 12:02 a.m.: ‘I can see the fire’

Most of my day was in the cab of a machine but I got to watch the tail end of the UFC fights tonight. If you tuned in you’ll understand how anticlimactic the Holloway vs. McGregor fight was. Hopefully the fire situation is the same moving forward.

Landfill structure protection was mostly demobbed today. We’re short-staffed, which is why I’m running equipment. We expect to have all fire mitigation works completed tomorrow.

This morning I heard there are four unit crews in the area trying to weave a guard together tying into the lake. I don’t envy them. The terrain is brutal.

As many of you can hear the three helis have been going non-stop — except for some down time due to “hours of service.” Pilots need rest too, ya know.

I vote for them to get equipped with anti-drone missiles, lol. That would be a quick solution to our unauthorized drone activity that grounds operations, eh?

Joking aside, I’d be amazed if this doesn’t burn across the whole mountain. There are a couple creeks which will slow it down and with the terrain being so challenging that may be the play (to lean into the suppressive nature of the riparian zones). I imagine if crews concentrated efforts on one of those creeks in co-ordination with the air resources, it could be held. I am not an expert on wildland tactics and am just spitballing here. There are loads of factors the pros have to consider. They look at forecasts in great detail, resources; it’s a massive balancing act as our little area isn’t the only area burning. In a perfect world we’d have 15 helicopters on it and just finish the job. But I don’t even know if there are regulations against certain number of them in the same airspace at the same time. Crew safety is always a priority, as it should be.

I can officially see the fire on the mountain from my office window on Sumac Drive now. I’m grateful for the air quality we’ve been getting. And it looks like we’ve got one more cooler day until it warms up again for a bit.

Shout-out goes to Katherine Walters for bringing us some extra food from the firehall today. Didn’t have time for breakfast so it was such an awesome surprise.

July 12, 5:39 p.m.: ‘People have bills to pay’

I came across a number of deer today. I won’t be angry at them if they eat my plums. This year they get a pass.

Landfill fire mitigation works have been completed.

Structure protection has been fully demobilized at the landfill, and demob of Moon Road is also in progress. I think I saw a bladder being drained on the north side of North Bend as well. There are still patrols by out-of-town fire departments like Shuswap and Clinton.

The fire across the river from the landfill is no longer visible, which I presume is good news for Boothroyd and Canyon Alpine. Rolling power outages may happen from time to time for a number of reasons tied to wildfire preparation and response. This is true in particular for the North Bend reserve. Crews have been made aware today that the North Bend reserve water system relies on power.

Despite the rain we had overnight, the fire above North Bend reserve is trending south. Three helicopters were still on it all day, but it still looks a bit more active than it did in the morning. With temps set to rise we should still be prepared.

Structure protection crews were going door to door on Boston Bar side today taking photos for proactive planning purposes. That’s a relief as resources are now already allocated so I’m feeling good about that. They aren’t gonna let the town burn down that the camps set up in, am I right?

I suspect most volunteers will be catching up on their day jobs tomorrow. People have bills to pay. Fire behaviour tomorrow will give us an idea of what to expect over the next week. But I’m not feeling imminent danger yet tomorrow thanks to the existing presence of crews, structure protection infrastructure, helicopters and water availability.

Shout-out to Mark Porter who helped get the landfill excavator back online today in a pinch.

July 13, 8:59 p.m.: ‘Big ups to all the mothers’

It’s come to my attention some people don’t like these being called updates since I’m not an “official” so *Reader discretion is advised.* I don’t work for the government as an employee. I’m just a regular guy that lives in the area sharing my experience and opinions.

So, today’s theme was mostly yard work, and catching up with my family (need more of that).

I contacted director Diane Johnson if she knew who to get in touch with about having the grass cut on the road shoulders. She responded promptly and reached out to whoever is in charge of that and they advised that "mowing will resume tomorrow."

My personal opinion is that perhaps we should consider mowing it before fire season. Maybe the contract could benefit from an amendment. I wonder if that would have changed the equation on July 2 when this was just a grass fire on the side of Chaumox Road?

While my neighbours Kathleen Monds and her son Dylan were doing their part and mowing the shoulder by their house, they came across a water leak. (That’s why the grass is green in the picture.) They informed me and I notified FVRD water techs immediately who are en route as I type. It’s not a big leak and under normal circumstances could wait till morning but considering the situation, Dave Roblin — "the master of water" as I like to call him (who didn’t get to have his day off today) — made the call to have it looked after immediately.

On my end, I’ll be catching up on my day job and more yard work tomorrow around the house. Shout-out to my other neighbour Joanne Lévesque who’s been helping out moving combustibles away from mine and the vacant property that borders us.

I had the pleasure of taking a stroll with my baby boy this afternoon. He’s also the type that needs to be in motion to fall asleep. I guess ADHD runs in the family? I have no idea how my wife can handle two kids at home solo, the combination of mental and physical load requires peak performance. I think she deserves the biggest shout-out of anyone as I’d pick staring flames in the face compared to baby cries and toddler shrieks simultaneously any day.

Every firefighter has a mom so big ups to all the mothers out there! During the walk I got to chat with a few neighbours along the way. Dave Rondquist, who’s a local fire department volunteer, and his wife Katherine (who I believe is a nurse) were sitting outside taking a break. We had good chats about the situation we find ourselves in. Their neighbour Douglas Robinson, who’s a volunteer of the Boston Bar/North Bend Enhancement Society, stopped by and was super kind and provided me with some homemade fruit leathers grown locally to share with my crew on the North Bend side.

I was not on the North Bend side today but sounds like everything is still good there and Curtis Florence has been posting some good videos keeping people updated on the fires path.

Interesting tidbit: Packages are starting to accumulate at the post office as they cannot be delivered to evacuated areas.

The RCMP identified the person with the drone and handled the situation.

I did not hear anything from FVRD regarding a timeline to reopen the landfill.

Thirty-six degrees forecasted for tomorrow on AccuWeather. Stay hydrated out there!

July 13, 10:59 p.m.: ‘We need to have a party once they pull it off’

Just got some intel I had to share with you guys because it seems like a genius move that gives a sense of hope that this could actually end.

I’d like to present Operation Pizza Party.

Or if you want to sound more professional, Operation Choke Point, whichever you prefer.

So, it sounds like the plan is to funnel the fire into a tighter point. There were some existing roads there that tie into the riparian area, machinery has been working and some lines already run. The helis have been holding back the fire so this work can be completed. As long as we don’t get crazy winds I think this could be a spectacular performance by BCWS. That’s why I think it should be called Operation Pizza Party because we need to have a party once they pull it off!

I can understand how a back burn would come into play to get this out before things get too dry and hot. With winds heading northeast this seems like a very safe strategy for crews to implement. Let’s just hope the weather co-operates. For the first time since the [night vision imaging system] helis started, I’m excited.

Note: This isn’t official, just heard it down the grapevine, but seems legit, which is why I shared it. No guarantees, but I am feeling good about this and see a possible pathway of this actually ending without the whole mountainside burning.

July 15, 12:15 a.m.: ‘It was a bit of a tougher day’

The fire went further south than anticipated. I hear there are two more guards south of there but that the wedge isn’t the plan. But at this point I’d love to hear direct from the source what the plan is, but I’m going back to my original thought of it burning all the way to Scuzzy. Just how it did on Chaumox, except now we’ll have hotter temps... I guess the star of the show and deciding factor will be the winds. Fingers crossed they pull off a miracle and back burn the guard with perfect timing.

The helicopter pilots on this fire are exquisite from my perspective, fast cycle times, super accurate. I know they have limited airspace which caps numbers in the sky for safety purposes but I bet they aren’t the ones limiting the numbers and could handle more.

It was a bit of a tougher day losing Operation Pizza Party, having no water or power simultaneously for a bit as the fire was candling in the background. The beauty of children is they don’t even need to understand the significance of the events. The pizza party goes on for them. Olivia got to “operate” the backhoe. I think she has a knack for it!

I finally cleaned our gutters out today, moved propane tanks 10 metres from the home, got firewood that was leaned up against the house away from it. All the stuff I should have already had done. Cut the grass/weeds. I’m seeing a lot of others around town preparing as well, which is awesome! My neighbour Kathleen Monds helped me out with watering our place today. Tomorrow I’ll focus on closing gaps and cracks.

Thursday, winds will shift blowing to the west for a short period, according to the forecast. Tomorrow looks like it’ll copy today but be two degrees hotter.

Shout-out to the firefighters sleeping in the tents at the soccer field. I don’t think I’d get much sleep in that heat. Especially night shift, who sleeps during the day. I wonder if we could set up the school gym or something for better sleeping conditions? I can set up an air mattress in my basement if anyone is desperate for something cooler, just shoot me a DM, we’re a two-minute walk from camp.

I wonder what number these updates will end at? Almost took the night off on this one.

Oh, and also stopped by the viewing party at Frances Harrington Park tonight. There was a great group of people there watching the fires glow and helicopters throw. Seeing people enjoying themselves, sharing stories, was a nice way to cap off a long day.

[Editor’s note: On July 15, flames crept down the mountain, approaching the Fraser River and Boston Bar on its immediate opposite bank. The following morning, an evacuation order was issued for Boston Bar. Banhegyi’s family left, but he and many other residents decided to stay.]

July 16, 7:57 p.m.: ‘Hurry up and wait’

Yesterday was a spicy one. Felt the evac order around the corner and had everything ready to go. Today is pretty good considering the forecasts on the Brunswick side of things.

Judit and the kids got to go to the Harrison Festival today which is awesome.

Roadblock has been moved to south of town and highway closed.

The fire tornado at the top of the mountain was a sight to behold last night. Looked like 500-foot flames coming off of it.

Today the choppers were flying over my house, making the whole place shake. The chickens were frightened and very confused but they’re starting to get used to it.

The best part of the evac order in Boston Bar is that now I can go back and forth between North Bend and Boston Bar again. (My access passes ran out after I finished the landfill fire mitigation.)

Burning the whole mountain seems to be going according to plan. At this rate I think four to six more days and there won’t be anything left to burn and we can go back to normal life on the Brunswick side of things.

All the tents at the BCWS by the soccer field at the school are gone. I saw some bladders set up in Boston Bar but nothing on my street yet. I wonder where the new camp is? I heard the night shift got put up in motels/hotels so they didn’t have to sleep in tents during the heat wave, so that’s great!

I was thinking today that this feels a bit like a war zone. It obviously isn’t, but it’s a war against fire.

In other wars, against other humans, you keep your strategies secret or divulge certain tactics to trick your adversary. In this case, there’s no risk of the fire finding out what the plans are to suppress it so I feel like it would be very helpful if maps/strategics/tactics were shared in detail with the public. Or at least just basic overviews so we know where the guards are and what the trigger points are for when structure protection sets up or when a contingency plan is activated. I think that would help alleviate the psychological toll of uncertainty so many are facing.

I feel like this fire is playing out exactly how it was going to play out on this south side.

Above North Bend, it was burning great as it was mostly in the duff layer, but now across from my house it’s been candling for ~24 hours leaving desolation behind.

We survived the dry lightning risk it seems and a few new spots popped up over the province like Pemberton, around Nelson and northeast of Hope by Caroline Mines, and a few other remote spots.

BCWS increased their firefighting personnel from 292 to 369 (bet they could use the help moving the camp) — 20 helicopters, 41 pieces of heavy equipment and 88 structure protection personnel.

Funny story: I checked my insurance policy today and I get $5,000 for relocation up to four weeks but the catch is I also have a $5,000 deductible. So I have to spend $5,000 and only after that they’ll cover up to $5,000 more. I’ve asked them what I can expect if the house burns down. Hopefully something a bit more agreeable.

Someone messaged me about their sprinklers being shut off. If you see your sprinklers being shut off on camera it likely isn’t a malicious act. It’s to preserve water flows and they’ll most likely be turned back on when it’s important, so don’t be alarmed. The water system isn’t designed to support everyone’s sprinklers running 24-7 at once. Plus you’ll save on your water bill too.

Seems like now we’re in the hurry up and wait phase.

July 18, 10:48 p.m.: ‘I can hear some chainsaws going’

Yesterday was one of the nicest days here of the summer. Clear skies. Fair weather. Low fire activity. Took some time to rest.

Choppers were bucketing the Brunswick/Scuzzy Creek side until early afternoon and nothing since which makes it seem like they’re meeting their objectives. I think there might be a control line in there and it’s being held. Winds are stable until Monday when they shift towards the south, east and west.

BCWS tents have set back up at the camp. I can hear some chainsaws going across the river.

Highway was opened. I think that annoyed the police. Hard to know who’s coming in and out but I’d estimate about 40 per cent, plus, of residents have stayed. More like 65 per cent on my street so looters be warned: Nothing here is up for grabs.

Two days ago resources assigned were 369 firefighting personnel. Today it is 245. You can track that through the BCWS website.

Ironic paired with the evac order timing, but I can understand with the mild weather and dramatic increase in spot fires across the province.

There’s a checkpoint set up at the bridge on Boston Bar side now.

Thanks Joanne Lévesque for letting me grab some radishes from your garden. Yummy crisp, juicy, delicious! Blackberries are starting to ripen around here too. So this cloudy weather is perfect since they usually get sunburnt.

[Editor’s note: Last weekend, BC Wildfire Service crews undertook a planned ignition between the Fraser River and the Brunswick Creek Complex. The operation aimed to remove fuel that might otherwise propel the blaze toward Boston Bar. It appeared to have succeeded and Banhegyi told The Tyee Tuesday morning that he hoped residents would soon return to their homes.

On Tuesday, however, a new fire erupted on the west side of the river. The blaze exploded in size and triggered urgent warnings for remaining Boston Bar residents to leave.]

Wednesday, July 22, 4:36 a.m.: ‘Flames reached the yard of my home’

As you already know, a new fire across from Anderson rapidly evolved. I believe 10 helicopters were assigned immediately of which two were bucketing after which they were pulled off due to conditions.

Highway closed off and traffic turned around heading south from Boston Bar. Remaining late evacuees exited northbound. Local security as well. A select few residents remain, predominantly to assist with extinguishing spotting and patrolling and other necessities in town.

A ground crew removed combustibles from properties on my street today. There were and are no bladders or hose lays or sprinklers on Sumac Drive.

Water was shut off by FVRD to the entire community of Boston Bar and I get either staff clamming up or a word salad when I ask about it and a redirection to life and safety is priority and everyone should be evacuated. These are people's homes.

My water storage tote in my driveway was used by someone presumably to fight fire. I hope it was helpful and I'm glad they were able to access it.

Flames reached the yard of my home.

The local Boston Bar volunteer fire department along with the Yale fire department attended and most likely saved my house and other houses on Sumac Drive. Flames continue to burn as there is too much to extinguish.

Because the water is shut off, tenders need to drive across two sets of tracks to the other side of the river to load water at Green Ranch Road, or go up to Boothroyd. The CN fill station was dismantled a day or two ago. Sprinklers were all removed from North Bend homes today as well.

The long house was saved at Anderson Creek and no houses burnt as of earlier tonight.

I was able to fill up my tote and get a second tote off a friend in town with his own water rights. I have a pump and have used it to put out hot spots around the perimeter of my home to take a tiny load off the crews. Poor guys are pulling an all-nighter.

I hope reinforcements arrive soon. It's mostly looking like a ghost town.

I suspect tomorrow, or today rather, is going to be a very challenging day.

Crews are still actioning fire south of Boston Bar which I can see along the east side of the road from town. They are also actioning fire by the school in the old mill. I can only imagine how far it's gone up the mountain and suspect it will soon be reunited with the Ainslie fire.

Power is out both sides. Cell service is down. Water is off (would have loved a shower before my nap; I'm sure I'm not alone on that front) and the people here on the ground are incredibly amazing.