We wish to take this opportunity to thank:
*the fire fighting crews,
*the team that installed the sprinkler protection system on our home,
*the team going door to door to notify us and our neighbours that we were to evacuate immediately,
*our friends who opened their home as a refuge and place to stay for the duration of the order (one week),
*Loree Duczek and her team at the RDEK who are so committed to sending out timely and vital updates about the fires (our main source of information), and
*all others who helped to keep us and our home as safe as possible.
We were not at all dismayed when the evacuation order was delivered to our door that night at 2 a.m. In fact, it was a relief to be told for sure we needed to get out, having gone to bed with the knowledge that the St Mary’s River fire was raging ever closer, and having seen from our window the orange glow in the smoke to the southwest about 1 am.
We are indeed very fortunate to be back in our home, which is untouched by this fire, and we feel for our less fortunate neighbours at Aq’am whose homes were consumed and lost to this same fire.
Our fervent hope for this planet-in-crisis is that those with the power to actually do something about climate change will begin to work with all those already actively engaged in implementing ways and means to mitigate the crisis.
In the meantime, we want to express our gratitude to all those dedicated people who are out there on the ground and in the air working so hard to keep us safe from devastation and tragedy.
Thank you.
Carol and Walter Latter
Kimberley, BC