A Prince George, B.C., artist has written a song for her fire-razed hometown of Lytton and is raising funds to support its rebuild, which is trudging along more slowly than most would like.
Becky Adams’ family was in the southern B.C. village when it was consumed by fire on June 30, 2021. The fire killed two people and forced another 300 to flee as it burned through houses, the health centre, the post office and more.
“It was a horrible time for everybody. I have heard so many stories that just touched my heart and I just started having this melody come to, and these lyrics come to me,” Adams said. “It all probably happened in the space of an hour or so.”
‘Hole In My Soul,’ a song for Lytton, made its YouTube debut on Feb. 9, just under four-and-a-half minutes in length, including an opening statement about the disaster.
The song’s powerful lyrics reflect the experiences of Adams’ friends and family who survived the fire and are still waiting for their homes and community to be rebuilt, while the images include photos of Lytton both before and after the fire.
“Now all that’s left there is scattered charred remains, memories baked in the soot, calling out their names,” Adams sings.
“Who, who is to blame for just an act of God? Here have a card on us, we’re sorry for your loss.”
Adams has included a link to an online fundraiser in the YouTube video description, with a goal of raising $50,000 for residents who need support rebuilding their homes. A small portion will also go professionally recording a few of Adams’ other songs, the GoFundMe campaign states.
She recalled hearing news of the tragedy on television, frantically calling her family and not hearing back to confirm they were safe for at least an hour.
“Because it was a record-breaking heatwave, people literally had to run for their lives,” Adams said, adding that many residents have still not returned.
“I can’t imagine being in limbo for almost two-and-a-half years. My mom didn’t make it to the first anniversary (of the fire), she passed away. It’s been so stressful for everybody.”
Work to rebuild Lytton has faced repeated setbacks, with the first cement finally poured for a home rebuild in December. Various archeological, debris removal and remediation delays have prompted protests and dominated B.C. headlines.
Before the fire, many Lytton homes had been built on a site that is culturally significant to the Nlaka’pamux Nation.
In the post-disaster cleanup and excavation process, crews discovered thousands of artifacts, some that could be up to 10,000 years old, along with a 7,500-year-old spear point.
Other factors, however, have contributed to the slow pace of rebuilding, including the devastating floods of November 2021, an enormous dump of snow that winter, additional wildfire evacuations last summer, months of waiting for toxicology reports, safe work procedures and the work of sifting through the wreckage.
The B.C. government, in particular, has faced criticism for the slow pace of rebuilding, with residents noting that reconstruction in the aftermath of other disasters has gone more quickly.
While one home is under construction, Lytton Mayor Denise O’Connor said Friday that technically, “nothing but a small TELUS building has been rebuilt.”
“We took a pause of these last couple of months because of the winter weather conditions,” she explained. “We’ve actually issued five building permits, which is really good news, and apparently another four or five or in the queue.”
O’Connor estimated that the most progress has been made for homeowners’ whose properties were insured, as well as with municipal buildings — still in the planning stages.
She welcomed Adams’ fundraiser to support those who need financial assistance as they rebuild. Of ‘Hole In My Soul,’ O’Connor said she was “really touched by it,” and described it as “very moving.”
“It brought back so many memories of what the town was like before the fire, and of course the devastating fire — it brought back those memories as well,” she said.
“It’s a huge weight off our shoulders to see things moving … it’s so exciting and hopeful for people.”