Last year this couple faced the Ashcroft wildfire, this year it’s Mount Eneas

Stacey and Trace de Boer just moved to the Okanagan from Ashcroft where they faced the Elephant Hill wildfire last summer.

Like thousands of others last year, they faced the uncertainty of an evacuation alert and the threat of having to leave at a moment’s notice. A few years earlier, in 2011, they were ordered to leave because of the Spatsum wildfire — but stayed behind to try and protect their home.

This year they’re in the fire zone again.

“Last night that whole hillside was just all glowing, it was just all flames, so it was really scary,” Trace de Boer said.

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The 1300-hectare Mount Eneas wildfire is burning just across the lake from their ranch in Meadow Valley.

It is a community near Summerland that is still recovering from this spring’s floods.

On Friday the property and 48 others were placed under evacuation alert.

“We started putting the camper on the truck just in case we had to make a quick getaway,” Stacey de Boer said.

The pair told Global News that they were on edge a few nights ago when the fire flared up, fueled by strong winds.

However, on Saturday there were signs of relief.

“I’m feeling a lot better about it today, it seems to have really settled down, we just got so lucky last night that there was no wind,” she said.

Crews made progress in the firefight thanks to cooler temperatures and light winds on Saturday.

Authorities believe the wildfire no longer poses an imminent threat to the waterfront properties along Okanagan Lake.

“We currently don’t have any significant concerns with rapid growth or expansion and if the weather holds for the next few days we’re anticipating good success,” said B.C. Wildfire incident commander Glen Burgess.

That is why residents of more than 80 properties were allowed to return home on Saturday, after they were evacuated mid-week.

“That shows we are making some progress and have confidence in the fire behavior,” Burgess said.

Communities up and down the Okanagan Valley are showing their gratitude for the tireless efforts of firefighters by posting “thank you firefighters” signs.