Despite losing his home and fire hall to the Bush Creek East wildfire, Darren Reynolds and fellow North Shuswap firefighters continue doing the work that needs to be done to protect their communities.

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) recently shared Reynolds香蕉视频直播� harrowing account of late Friday afternoon, Aug. 18, when strong winds pushed the out-of-control wildfire into North Shuswap communities including Scotch Creek. A member of the CSRD香蕉视频直播檚 Scotch Creek/Lee Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Reynolds explained in a video shared by the CSRD that he and fellow firefighters were at the wooden Scotch Creek bridge, helping to remove danger trees. With the 香蕉视频直播渇ire all around us,香蕉视频直播� they fell back to the fire hall. That was just before 香蕉视频直播渁ll hell broke loose.香蕉视频直播�

At the fire hall, Reynolds said the plan was to regroup, get hoses back together and then get to work on spot fires. This was with the knowledge his home had already been lost to the blaze 香蕉视频直播� something he learned from his son Nathan and Nathan香蕉视频直播檚 partner Savannah, who are also Scotch Creek/Leek Creek firefighters.

香蕉视频直播淚 knew we had lost our property because he was just down that street. He watched it happen.香蕉视频直播�

The wind died down, offering a 30-second lull before it picked up again, 香蕉视频直播渁nd chunks of stuff were flying out of the sky on fire, and the trees were just sideways, the embers were incredible 香蕉视频直播� we couldn香蕉视频直播檛 breathe or nothing (sic), trees were candling right beside us, our hall was on fire, we watched the trailer court just get ripped apart, just explode,香蕉视频直播� said Reynolds.

It was then they headed to the beach, 香蕉视频直播渂ecause we thought we were going to die, simple as that.香蕉视频直播�

Once on the beach, they were transported by lake to safety. Three days later, Reynolds returned to his fire-ravaged North Shuswap community and has been there since, even though his home was flattened in the blaze.

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香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檝e seen my property, it was moving so fast, it just turned everything to dust basically,香蕉视频直播� said Reynolds. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e never seen anything like that but now I can honestly say I have and I don香蕉视频直播檛 think I want to again.香蕉视频直播�

In a CSRD media release accompanying the video, Reynolds points out like himself, other North Shuswap firefighters have lost their homes and are 香蕉视频直播渟till going hard.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭his is my neighbourhood. I don香蕉视频直播檛 have another neighbourhood. And nobody should have to go through this. It香蕉视频直播檚 pretty ugly香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� said Reynolds, noting the selfless actions of firefighters helped people to escape the blaze.

香蕉视频直播淧eople don香蕉视频直播檛 understand that. They think they should all come first. Sorry, it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 work that way香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� said Reynolds. 香蕉视频直播淚f I didn香蕉视频直播檛 think the way I do, I would have said 香蕉视频直播榯o hell with the bridge香蕉视频直播� and I would have went (sic) and protected my house. Instead, I don香蕉视频直播檛 know how many thousands of people we got out of here.香蕉视频直播�

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