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Re: Notes from the forest fire zone

A letter to the editor by Debbie Hancock
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Dear Mr. Fletcher,

This is the first time in 64 years of life that I have felt compelled to respond to an editorial. As a resident of 108 Mile Ranch who was evacuated for 15 days, and a professional counsellor who is seeing a sharp increase in clients with stress related disorders and depression, I believe that your article inaccurately misrepresents the devastation of our wildfires.

The tone of your article is that— “it’s no big deal; not much damage to see.” How disrespectful to the thousands of residents who have been displaced and the hundreds who have lost homes, outbuildings, businesses, livestock, etc., etc.

You said you drove from Highway 24 onto Highway 97 through to Prince George. How did you miss three kilometres of burned forest from Canim Hendrix Road just north of 100 Mile House through to 105 Mile? If you had taken a moment to drive in this area and two to three km off 105 Mile Road West and Tatton Station Road, you would have seen total devastation of forest and many homes! It would have left you numb and heart sick as it did when we drove through.

You say that “the only visible scars…[around] Williams Lake” was “where a brush fire ran up to one of the many widening and paving projects…and the construction area acted as a firebreak and only a small spot burned…” Are you kidding me? Did you not see the miles of burned forest that ran along the highway and into the Sugar Cane Reserve? If you had taken just another moment to drive up the road to Horsefly, you would have seen burned forest, a burned home, and near loss of the 153 Mile log home building plant for Pioneer Log Homes (aka The Timber Kings TV reality show).

And, I’m only referring to my immediate area from 100 Mile to Williams Lake. You should take a drive and see the devastation from Ashcroft through to Clinton on Highway 97. It is sickening.

Also in your editorial, you cite some very inaccurate statistics about the history of wildfires. If you listened to the news reports from Aug. 16, you would have learned that the 2017 wildfire season has already surpassed the 1958 record year, and we are far from being out of the woods with many remaining weeks of hot, dry weather and potential lightning storms. This has been, and will be by far and away, the most destructive wildfire season in B.C. history!

I would like to see you print an apology to the citizens of British Columbia (especially those of us directly affected), as well as correct your statistics.

We are going to need many months and years of financial support to help us rebuild our lives and businesses; unfortunately, an article such as yours makes it look like it’s all been media hyperbole and that intelligent people shouldn’t be buying into the spin. Shameful and hurtful.

Debbie Hancock

Certified Canadian Counsellor

108 Mile Ranch