Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Silvia Senna

Loon Lake Fire Hall

Seven years after Elephant Hill wildfire, Loon Lake has opened its new fire hall

Jun 10, 2024 | 1:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s been a long time coming for the residents and fire department of Loon Lake, but their new fire hall is officially open. In 2017, the Elephant Hill wildfire ravaged their community, taking down many properties along the way.

“[The fire hall] is more than critical,” said Bruce Heslop, a Loon Lake resident. “We have a house about two miles east of here and, in 2017, we were told that our house burned. Fortunately, it did not, so that was a very nice surprise. That’s everything to us. All the family from [my wife’s] side of the family are all in that house so we can’t lose it. And the other fire hall was great, but this is way better.”

And the community came together to rebuild the area.

“It was a very tough time for a lot of people… We had guilt because our place didn’t burn [and] so many people’s did. And we tried to help the best we could,” Heslop told CFJC Today.

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“The community of Loon Lake has always been a very tight knit, very close community. Firefighters, of course, play a huge role in that. And the community and the firefighters came together with some outside donations. They were determined to rebuild their fire hall, build it back in a better location, and that was going to serve the greater community better,” said Barbara Roden, TNRD Board Chair.

With a new training facility, the firefighters are also better prepared to assist the community in different ways.

“Loon Lake is a community on the older end of the spectrum. A lot of retirees, a lot of seasonal people who come up to enjoy their cabins, who don’t live here full time. With that comes the responsibility of dealing with people who are maybe unhealthy or need medical assistance,” explained Daryl Hart, Loon Lake Fire Chief. “We’re here to assist the ambulance when they come in here and, of course, then the firefighting aspect, which is our primary goal.”

“This is not only a fire hall, it’s a community hub, and it’s a real symbol, a physical symbol of how far Loon Lake has come since the fire,” said Roden.

Moving forward, residents hope to enjoy a nice summer by the lake.

“The hope is that we have a beautiful summer that’s not too hot so we don’t get too dry and that lots of people are up and enjoying the summer on the lake,” said Heslop.

People can apply online to volunteer at the Loon Lake fire department.