‘Driving through a war zone’: Damage wrought by Bush Creek East wildfire difficult for some to bear

Michelle Chitsaz is just one of hundreds of North Shuswap residents who entered the charred remnants of once vibrant neighbourhoods changed by the Bush Creek East wildfire.

On Wednesday she discovered her cabin of nearly 30 years on Squilax Anglemont Road was still standing, though her neighbour’s just a few metres away had been razed.

“I don’t want to call it survivor’s guilt but I do feel grateful,” she said. “I don’t know why ours survived.”

Like most others, the home was more than just shelter. It was a place where generations of memories were made and its survival was a salve for the discomfort and worry felt in the weeks it was at risk.

“There is a lot of personal attachment to it and emotional attachment to it. We just maintained hope until we found out it was standing but it was a very difficult time,” she said.

2:07 North Shuswap homeowners tour fire-damaged community

Hundreds of North Shuswap residents weren’t so lucky.

Within the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, there were 176 structures — homes, businesses, sheds and garages — completely destroyed by fire. Another 50 were partially damaged. When Squilax First Nation is included, the damage total rises to 270.

The destruction caused by the fire was uneven, with some areas experiencing more damage than others.

Celista Place, a residential street, was particularly hard hit, with nearly a dozens home obliterated when flamed ravaged the area.

Properties that once overflowed with signs of life were reduced to mangled sheets of metal, and scorched vehicles.

Surprising reminders of that life also survived, like a sign alerting motorists to children playing in the neighbourhood and a few colourful patio chairs painted with beautiful vistas of Shuswap Lake.

Wednesday was the first time many got to see firsthand the damage of the wildfire during waves of planned tours where feelings of grief and loss were palpable.  Some simply fell silent, not articulating the loss they were dealing with.

“It’s heartbreaking to see all the homes that people worked so hard to get and now they are gone. There’s nothing but piles of ashes, it’s like driving through a war zone, “Anglemont resident Lance Barker said.

In many ways, officials are treating the return home similarly.

“We’ve gone through the process of allowing those that lost structures to have private time to see their properties through these last couple of days, we are now moving into a re-entry phase,” Tim Conrad, from the regional district said.

Recover, however, may take much longer.

“It will honestly take several years to see most of the homes rebuilt and back to normal,” Conrad said.