BC in Flames: stories from a blazing summer is now in the final stages of design and editing! While I worried about our own place at Sheridan Lake which had been in my husband’s family for 60 years, I was also struck by other people’s stories. I began collecting them and conducted over 50 hours of interviews. I wanted to be a conduit for the voices I heard—for those who lost their homes and cottages, for those who were evacuated and displaced, for those who fought the fires raging around them, and for those who watched helplessly from the sidelines. I talked to people all over the Cariboo and the Chilcotin, from Ashcroft in the south to Hanceville-Riske Creek in the north. I spoke to firefighters, ranchers, cottagers, home and business owners, RCMP officers, park rangers, First Nations, and search and rescue officers.
The book shows how communities pulled together to face a terrifying force of nature. People looked after strangers who had no place to go. They helped each other rescue and shelter animals. They shared information. Owners of small grocery stores stayed open day and night to supply gas and food as well as comfort to evacuees who were streaming away from the flames. The dignity, resourcefulness, and kindness of the people I spoke to impressed me. This book is a tribute to their generous spirit. The last chapter is a look at some of the underlying causes of this disaster and what we might do to prevent futures fires of this magnitude.
BC in Flames also gave me an opportunity to showcase the work of many photographers who were on the scene when fires broke out. They weren’t necessarily professionals, but as you will see, they were talented.
Publication date is April 25, 2020. At that point, the books will be available. If you are associated with a club or organization and are interested in hearing me read to your group, you can get in touch through this website.
