Letter to the editor:
On 20 July, I was asked by the province if I would volunteer to go to the Cariboo Regional District in order to provide some assistance to a local Emergency Support Services (ESS) team.
I was told that the 100 Mile House team had been going flat out for more than two weeks and had asked for assistance. I was aware of the extent of the wildfires this year and the impact those fires were having in the Cariboo since I was part of the team that welcomed a total of 25 evacuees from 100 Mile House / 108 Mile Ranch to our area.
Having only lived on Vancouver Island, though, I had no idea what I was letting myself into when agreed to come. Bear in mind that despite training for large scale evacuations, our team in Campbell River has never actually experienced such an event.
The largest evacuation I have participated in was an apartment fire involving 28 evacuees which was over in four days. What I found upon arrival at 108 Mile Ranch (where I stayed while 100 Mile was still under evacuation order) was a dedicated team of amazing volunteers who were providing ESS services despite being evacuees themselves. And, they had been doing this since July 7! I was both amazed and inspired.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge to this awesome team of (seemingly tireless) volunteers my gratitude in accepting me as one of you.
I was impressed with your dedication in service of your community. As I said when you celebrated day 31, it was a privilege working with all of you. I learned so much from all of you and I hope that our shared experiences will benefit everyone. 100 Mile is indeed fortunate in having such a group of volunteers willing to work so hard for their community, many times putting the needs of the many above personal considerations.
Equally, it was inspiring to see the way this community rallied to help their neighbours. I witnessed all three levels of government as well as local business owners working together for the benefit of those affected by the wildfires.
Despite the stress being felt by everyone while the fires continue to burn, I wanted everyone to know that it was truly an honour for me to be part of your community for the short time I was there.
Many thanks,
Rick Wall
Campbell River ESS