Williams Lake couple flees wildfires with one-week-old child

Fourteen-day-old Alaina will have a very special birth story to tell one day.

Just one week after she was born, her parents decided to leave their home in Williams Lake because of looming wildfires.

“It was pretty surreal being downtown and looking around and no matter which corner of the city you looked there was a fire burning,” said father Cody Nicholson, 29.

Their area was under an evacuation alert at the time but the smoke was thick and heavy.

“It was the last day we were there, she started to wheeze a little bit, so we knew we had to get out,” said mother Amanda Nicholson, 26.

So the Nicholson family banded together with relatives and friends in a convoy of vehicles and headed south to a family member’s home in Okanagan Falls.

“It’s family, and people need help, it’s a terrible situation going on up there,” said Karen Whiskin, who opened up her home to her relatives.

Bringing a child into the world while fleeing a wildfire was a lot to bear for Amanda Nicholson.

“Well, there was no time for baby blues, that’s for sure, so lots of emotions just high and running,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Well, there was no time for baby blues, that's for sure, so lots of emotions just high and running," she said.

The family doesn’t know when they will be able to return home, but they are thankful they’re together and safe.

“Honestly the fires and everything, they don’t even compare to having a granddaughter born and having her, this is everything, so you do whatever you have to do to keep your family safe,” said Alaina’s grandmother, Teresa Sure.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Honestly the fires and everything, they don't even compare to having a granddaughter born and having her, this is everything, so you do whatever you have to do to keep your family safe," said Alaina's grandmother, Teresa Sure.

The evacuees are also expressing gratitude to everyone who has helped them along the way.

“All of the compassion and everything that everybody has showed us from banks, to Toys “R” Us, to the Red Cross, the reception centre… it makes a world of difference,” Cody Nicholson said.

As for baby Alaina she is happy and healthy, and surrounded by so much love.

“Our little sweetheart,” said Sure, cradling her granddaughter.

Thousands of people have been evacuated out of Williams Lake and the surrounding areas as a windy Saturday blew a number of fires closer to the city.

Officials said that while the flames haven’t reached Williams Lake, an evacuation order was issued because the fire threatened to cut exit routes.

A wildfire in the Wildwood/Williams Lake Airport area, just north of Williams Lake, was estimated to still be 13,000 hectares Tuesday.

It was estimated to be 40 per cent contained but is now estimated to be 20 per cent contained as of the latest update. Crews have managed to anchor the base of the fire into Highway 97, allowing them to build containment lines. The focus is on protecting Highway 97 and the community of Wildwood.

WATCH: Williams Lake, B.C. is virtually empty after thousands of residents were ordered out because of a wildfire threat.

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