When Jeremy Welch and his family moved out of Maple Ridge just two weeks ago, they thought they were leaving behind ever-rising house prices for a picturesque new home in the Cariboo.
香蕉视频直播淚t was a decision to try and make our family a unit that didn香蕉视频直播檛 have to have a dual income and daycare,香蕉视频直播� Welch said. 香蕉视频直播淢um could stay home and take care of the baby and we could have a yard for him to play in.香蕉视频直播�
Instead, just days after getting the keys to their new place in 100 Mile House, Jeremy, 38, his wife Darcie, 38, and seven-month-old Riley found themselves evacuating their Elliot Lake Road home.
香蕉视频直播淲e took possession on July 1 and, within a few days, the fire started,香蕉视频直播� Jeremy said. 香蕉视频直播淲e had just started picking out paint colours.香蕉视频直播�
Eight days ago, when the Gustafsen wildfire started, it was so small that they couldn香蕉视频直播檛 imagine it lasting. As of yesterday, it covered 5,000 hectares.
Firefighters attempting to extinguish the Gustafsen fire when it first started. Max Winkelman photo
香蕉视频直播淲e figured, the next day it would be out 香蕉视频直播� that they would have it under control,香蕉视频直播� Jeremy said.
The first day of the fire 香蕉视频直播� when it still seemed innocuous 香蕉视频直播� the Welches watched as firefighting planes circled overhead and dropped water on the blaze. Darcie, whose family lived in 100 Mile House and was the reason the Welches chose the town, took Riley and went to stay with her parents.
Jeremy stayed behind, painting and organizing their new home. He woke up the next morning to a wildfire worn down to almost nothing. Darcie planned to return home to help install sprinklers at the house, just in case.
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Then the wind started.
香蕉视频直播淚t turned this fire into a raging storm that they have no control of,香蕉视频直播� he told Black Press on Tuesday.
Jeremy Welch snapped this photo of his house before leaving 100 Mile House. Jeremy Welch Photo
Conservation officers came by the house and told Jeremy to get out. 香蕉视频直播淣ow!香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 had no time. I grabbed some of our important paperwork and hooked up our cargo trailer.香蕉视频直播�
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They thought they香蕉视频直播檇 be back in a day.
香蕉视频直播淲e didn香蕉视频直播檛 take it seriously enough to dig through our boxes to find all our most important things,香蕉视频直播� Jeremy said.
The Welches went to stay with Darcie香蕉视频直播檚 family in Buffalo Creek.
香蕉视频直播淚t was about a 15-minute drive away from the fire. But 15 highway minutes of driving香蕉视频直播� so a fair bit.香蕉视频直播�
VIDEO: The Welch family relive their escape from 100 Mile House
A fair bit didn香蕉视频直播檛 turn out to be far enough. Buffalo Creek was put under an evacuation alert.
香蕉视频直播淚t was tough to know what we should do; whether we should stay or whether we should go,香蕉视频直播� Jeremy said.
香蕉视频直播淚t was really smoky, so with the little guy we didn香蕉视频直播檛 know if it would be safe,香蕉视频直播� Darcie said. 香蕉视频直播淲ith leaving, I was worried that if the highways were closed going out of town, we didn香蕉视频直播檛 want to be stuck in the vehicle on the road and a fire pops up.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚t was kind of scary that way. It was so smoky,香蕉视频直播� Jeremy said. 香蕉视频直播淭he thought that if our escape route, if the information wasn香蕉视频直播檛 accurate, and by the time we got there the fires had shifted香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈
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They decided to chance leaving.
香蕉视频直播淚t seemed so surreal, that we went up there to achieve our dream and it香蕉视频直播檚 just gone,香蕉视频直播� Darcie said. They got ready in a haze, grabbing their few possessions as well as those of Darcie香蕉视频直播檚 parents, who were out in Tofino when the evacuation alert was issued.
香蕉视频直播淲e packed up what we could in a frenzy, me with him strapped onto my back because he was being fussy,香蕉视频直播� Darcie said. 香蕉视频直播淲e were a mess by the time we got out of there.香蕉视频直播�
BC Wildfire Service planes fight the Gustafsen fire. Bob Grant Photo
So on the day Riley turned seven months old, the Welches made the harrowing seven-hour drive from Buffalo Creek down to Langley.
Riley didn香蕉视频直播檛 seem to mind it too much.
香蕉视频直播淲e kept him pretty happy,香蕉视频直播� Jeremy said. 香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 such a tough little guy.香蕉视频直播�
The trio arrived at a friend香蕉视频直播檚 house in Langley early Tuesday afternoon 香蕉视频直播� just hours before speaking to Black Press. They plan to stay there until the fire dies down and they can return to 100 Mile.
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Jeremy and Darcie are determined to keep up a brave face for Riley. Still, they can香蕉视频直播檛 help but agonize over what香蕉视频直播檚 left of their new life up north.
香蕉视频直播淲e may not have a house. Our house is on the front line of the fire,香蕉视频直播� Jeremy said.
香蕉视频直播淲e know that no matter what happens, if the house is still there or it香蕉视频直播檚 gone, the community is burned out. It香蕉视频直播檚 tough to know that香蕉视频直播檚 what we香蕉视频直播檙e going back to.香蕉视频直播�
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