In Nazko, B.C., a wildfire has lifted, leaving broken dreams in its wake

As Stewart and Sabrina Fraser traipse through the ashen remains of their family home in Nazko, B.C., they’re struck less by what’s left on the ground than what’s missing from the forest around them.

What was once a lush area that served as guiding terrain for Stewart’s outfitting business has been reduced to bare strands after the Plateau wildfire, the biggest ever recorded in B.C.’s history.

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“Our whole home was this country,” Stewart, the co-owner of Itcha Mountain Outfitters, told Global News.

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“We lost, oh I don’t know, probably 2,000 square miles of just my guide area. We don’t know how we’re going to make it after this.”

And they’re not alone among business owners who were hit hard by the wildfire in the region west of Quesnel.

READ MORE: 2 huge wildfires in B.C. this summer caused more than $127 million in damage

Fish Pot Lake Resort is also trying to survive after having lost half of its top-tier campground area.

Tourists come to the resort to enjoy outdoor activities like hunting and fishing.

Now, with the forest scorched to its bones, the resort has lost all of its fall and winter bookings – this, after an evacuation order that lasted two months over the summer.

“We basically lost a good year,” owner Marc Roy said.

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“We’re not sure what’s going to happen.”

With the wildfire raging, Roy stayed behind for 57 days as his wife and two sons left for safety.

Aug. 12 is a day he remembers more than most. That was when winds uprooted trees, took away his lifeline, and two big balls of fire roared over the resort.

“I close my eyes and I can still see it,” Roy said.

The future looks bleak

Today, the Frasers wonder how the Plateau wildfire spread so significantly, and what was done to protect their home, and other properties from the flames.

“There wasn’t a sprinkler on any building,” Stewart said. “There wasn’t a pump on the ground.”

The Frasers are receiving some provincial help, which amounts to about $1,500. But Stewart has a bleak outlook for the future of his livelihood.

“What’s there to rebuild?” he asked.