Thousands of B.C. fire evacuees return home

Thousands of people allowed back to their homes in West Kelowna in B.C.'s southern Interior on Wednesday, days after being driven out by forest fires.

On Saturday, about 11,000 people from West Kelowna were forced out of their homes after two fires — the Rose Valley and Glenrosa fires — quickly spread toward residential areas on the western side of Lake Okanagan. About 8,000 residents were allowed to return home on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning. However, about 2,800 more people had still been on hold — until they got the green light for late Wednesday.

Returning home for the first time, the residents were grateful to unpack their belongings and take stock of just how close the fire came.

Among them were Frank and Elaine Weslowski.

"We're so thankful that we have out home," Elaine Weslowski said.

"It's a bloody miracle, you know," her husband added.

Having the last house on their block, the Weslowskis were also the last ones out when the fire came.

"One minute we were sitting out back watching the big smoke plume, and the next thing we knew, there was a wall of fire across the top of that ridge right up there," Frank said.

Now that they're home, the Weslowskis say they'll keep an eye on the ridge until there is no more risk of fire.

Workers grateful mill still standing

Meanwhile, workers at Gorman Bros. Lumber Ltd., a local mill employing about 300 people, returned to work.

The mill had a close call after embers spread and ignited some of the company's standing lumber.

"It was a bad source of sparks because, of course, as it burnt, it was sending sparks into the rest of the plant and every direction," said co-owner Ron Gorman.

The sparks started fires throughout the property, on rooftops and between buildings.

"I hate to say it, [but] … I was convinced the mill was gone," Gorman said.

"So, although I watched my house burn up with my daughter, I also had decided we lost the mill, so it's almost like we got it back again."

Two of the three houses incinerated in the weekend blaze belonged to the Gorman family. All that was left of one of them was a brick chimney.

However, Gorman said he's grateful the mill survived – and it's all thanks to the workers.

Even after an evacuation was ordered in the area, about 20 employees stayed behind with shovels, forklifts and trucks to spray water, hoping to keep the fire at bay.

"It was fought with … the guys here," Gorman. "I mean, nobody was telling them what to do. They're guys who know what to do and just did it as if it was their place, their job, their plant."

Those men returned to work for the first time Wednesday.

"It was touch and go here for a while, and everybody kinda chewing their fingernails. It's nice to be back," said Norm Vernon, who has worked at the mill for 10 years.

However, the fire danger has not subsided. Both fires are still burning, although they are contained, and areas previously affected by the evacuation order are still on evacuation alert. Residents are being asked to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, a third fire in the area continued to grow Wednesday.

Officials said a fire around Terrace Mountain, 40 kilometres north of West Kelowna, was estimated to be 20 square kilometres in size.

An evacuation order was issued Wednesday afternoon, affecting approximately 13 people living in the mostly rural area. Another 2,200 people were put on evacuation alert.