An evacuation order remains in effect in Olala, a community north of Keremeos, British Columbia, as a wildfire classified as “out of control” continues to grow, affecting nearby residents.
Community resident Sandy Diaz stepped out of her home on Friday and was told she could return later in the day, but was forced to stay out overnight, leaving her husband, who has dementia, home alone.
“Who makes all these rules?” she asked in an interview with CTV News.
“I’m here waiting for a permit. Imagine a permit they will issue me to go home,” she added.
As of Saturday, 547 properties were under evacuation orders, including the entire community of Olala. An additional 1,050 were on alert, including the entire village of Keremeos.
Other nearby residents also reported feeling frustrated and confused, including Kudrat Mundi, who runs a fruit stand on Keremeos Bypass.
“It’s a little worrying,” she said, adding that her business began to struggle shortly after the closure of Highway 3A, which runs through Olala and Keremeos.
“Business has slowed down tremendously. It’s actually been kind of creepy how quiet it’s been lately,” she said.
“We have a lot of fruit that will start to spoil if we can’t continue to sell it,” Mundy added.
She said 18 people work at her store and are prepared in case they have to leave immediately.
According to BC Wildfire, 426 fire crews are on the scene and are currently working tirelessly to mitigate the spread. They are supported by 15 helicopters and 42 units of heavy equipment.
The fire continues to burn at 5,903 hectares and its cause is unknown. Part of the challenge in containing the fire is the terrain, according to Taylor Shantz, information officer for the British Columbia Wildfire Service.
“The crews are working very hard, but it’s also hard work and it’s difficult to get machines, crews in,” she said, adding that the wind had not picked up to fan the flames further.
“It’s beneficial for us to have our crews working and to be able to put emergency lines in.” Anytime you have strong winds, it’s just going to provide more oxygen to the fire and fuel more aggressive behavior,” Schantz explained.
For Diaz, patience ran out and she refused to wait any longer to return home, despite the evacuation order. She was finally granted special permission to care for her husband and was escorted back home by the RCMP.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! Happy ending. I’m going home!” she said before walking back to her property.
However, it is unclear how much longer it will be able to stay there as the fire moves closer to the community by the day.
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