They call themselves the forgotten community.
“Nobody here knows what is the estimated time we are going to be out,” displaced Bear Creek resident Lorna Dumaresq said on Wednesday.
And this from fellow displaced resident Richard Soneff: “When the RCMP roadblocks come down, is it a free-for-all?”
“What kind of damage occurred? When can we get up there?” asked displaced Bear Creek resident Lara McDonald.
Countless questions from residents in a West Kelowna neighbourhood that was decimated by the McDougall Creek wildfire, which began on Aug. 15.
Four weeks on, this is Bear Creek’s call to action.
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“The clock is ticking,” said McDonald. “If we don’t get (insurance) adjusters to our properties by Friday, most of us will have no coverage.”
Looming and seemingly impossible deadlines, when many say they haven’t been let back into the neighbourhood.
“Officially, I have no idea,” McDonald replied when asked about the status of her home.
“If it wasn’t for the kindness of first responders who literally took pity on the majority of us to send photos or whatever, none of us would know anything.”
Residents, united in grief, seeking answers.
“I would really like to see some kind of inquiry about what decision was made to not put resources on that fire that could have been put out when it was a hectare in size,” said Jeff Finlay.
The regional district says residents are being kept out, for their own safety, and that crews are working hard to rescind orders.
The residents disagree, with one resident saying if you push people far enough, they’ll take matters into their own hands.
Others, though, are looking forward.
“It’s B.C. We are going to burn. So where are we broken,” said McDonald.
“Let’s make this better so other people don’t have to go through this devastation.”
On Thursday, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations downgraded evacuation orders for several properties along Bear Creek Road.
The affected addresses are available online.
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