Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Amandalina Letterio

WILDFIRES

Logan Lake residents receive emotional welcome home after week-long evacuation

Aug 19, 2021 | 4:37 PM

LOGAN LAKE, B.C. — More than 2,000 Logan Lake residents are heading home after they were forced to flee the raging Tremont Creek wildfire.

The evacuation order was put out last Thursday (Aug. 12) when the wildfire was closing in on the community.

On Wednesday afternoon, firefighters parked on each side of Logan Lake’s main road to give residents a warm welcome home by clapping and waving as they drove into town.

“Hearing it was near our doorstep,” a woman from Logan Lake said, as she paused to hold back tears. “It’s good to be home,” she continued.

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Wildland and structural protection firefighters teamed up to battle the blaze and they have been working tirelessly to protect the community.

“We wouldn’t have anything to come back to if it wasn’t for these guys, truly,” said another Logan Lake resident as he drove into town with his children.

“I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for coming and saving our town and helping us,” said another resident as he honked and waved at the firefighters in thanks.

Not one structure was damaged and a significant reason is the FireSmart protection installed all over the community in recent years. Charred remnants of burned trees surround Logan Lake but officials say this is the best case scenario.

“FireSmart activities do not put the fire out, but what we saw in Logan Lake, was it gave both structural fire departments as well as wildland firefighters anchor points — points where they could defend and try to steer that fire away from the community,” said Rob Schweizer, director of BC Wildfire Operations.

Many houses in Logan Lake have sprinklers attached to their roofs which allow structural firefighters to easily attach their hose when a wildfire gets close. The community also invested in fire guarding and has high school students remove hazardous fuels from the forests every summer.

“Sprinklers were already on existing homes. When the B.C. Wildfire people came in and seen this, they were ecstatic. It was a matter of ladder, hooking, going on to the next house. We were done in less than 7 minutes per house,” explained Logan Lake fire chief, Doug Wilson.

Crews continue to attack the fire from the ground and air while the community remains on alert.

“We do need to keep a really, really close eye on some of the other things that are happening around us, like the Lytton fire to our south — still have Sparks (Lake) that’s not too far away. We’re definitely not out of the woods,” said Logan Lake Mayor Robin Smith — who also lined up with the firefighters to welcome back the community.

This intense fire season isn’t over yet, but for one day, one community was able to pause and celebrate — something the BC Wildfire Service is calling a ‘win’.