'Fighting for our community': Evacuees, fire crews see groundswell of support as Island wildfire burns

Nearly a week since an out-of-control wildfire on Vancouver Island forced hundreds of people out of their homes, Morgan Mack has found herself picturing the house her family had to leave behind. It holds a decade's worth of memories, including her three-month-old daughter's crib.

"It makes you want to cry, not knowing what the outcome is going to be. Are you going to wake up to your pictures being gone and memories you've made in your home being gone?

"Not only that, you're worrying about the people in your community as well as those who are affected by this."

While evacuees from about 100 properties were able to return to their homes on Wednesday evening, the majority, including Mack, remain displaced as efforts continue to try to rein in the Wesley Ridge wildfire's continued growth.

The wildfire has spread to 571 hectares since it began on July 31. The B.C. Wildfire Service's fire information officer, Madison Dahl, said the growth in recent days has been minimal and limited to steep backcountry terrain — a challenging area for fire crews to navigate.

Community rallies around fire crews, evacuees

In the midst of it all, fire crews and evacuees are seeing a groundswell of community support.

Outside the Meadowood General Store sits a table of brown paper meal bags for community members to decorate for the firefighters working just kilometres away.

"Good luck," reads one. "Stay safe."

The haze of smoke is thick in the skies. Chris Burger, owner of the general store, said that while the fire is still a serious threat, he has cautious optimism. He says it's due to the work and preparedness of the fire teams,  including his son, a volunteer with the Dashwood Fire Department, that they've been able to avoid any homes from being affected by the wildfire so far.

"I'm no longer looking out my living room window with trees that are candling and thinking that, you know, Armageddon has arrived," he said.

He's also witnessed an "enormous outpouring" of support for the first responders and evacuees, including more donations than support workers are able to take in their warehouse.

Among those helping out is Kymon Giakoumakis, the owner of Extreme Eatz in Qualicum Beach.

He's been providing more than 240 members of the firefighting crews with breakfast, bagged lunches, and dinner each day out of his restaurant.

"It has been one of the best experiences of my life," he said. "We're fighting for our community here and I loved being part of that ... that they're here to protect our neighbourhood, and I wanted to make sure they were taken care of."

Some evacuees to return

Evacuation orders are in place for 294 residences and 353 homes are on evacuation alert. 

Douglas Holmes, chief administrative officer for the Regional District of Nanaimo, said that it's too early to provide a timeline for when others might be allowed back in their homes, though the district is working to assess when it may be possible.

"We are extremely eager and very focused on getting everyone home," he said.

Esther Verheyen returned to the Cameron Lake Resort, which her family has owned for 45 years, at noon the day after evacuation orders lifted. The reunion was an emotional one for her, as Verheyen said her longtime guests have become a tight community, like an extended family to her.

"I don't know how it just passed us by. And miraculously, we are, we're good, we're safe, we're open today," she said.

When the evacuation orders went out for her area, Mack and her daughter were on the way to Tofino. Her husband quickly grabbed a few necessities before fleeing, including a drawer they'd been collecting of sentimental items from her pregnancy and their daughter's first months.

Now, the family is camping at Snow Creek in their trailer while they watch updates come in about the fire. Mack is grateful for the work of the firefighting teams, and knows it could take time before the area is safe for them to return.

"We're prepared for the long haul," she said.

Nick Acciavati, chief of the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department, says while it may seem calm right now, the wildfire is far from over. Fire teams are working through the night, attempting to box the fire in with helicopters and heavy equipment. 

"We're in it to win it, and our community's got our back."