The remains of Louise Johnny's home after it was destroyed by the Nohomin Creek wildfire.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Louise Johnny
July 31, 2022 - 5:51 PM
A Lytton First Nation family is recovering after losing their home to wildfire earlier this month.
The Nohomin Creek wildfire is burning roughly two kilometres northwest of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River and has reached 2,910 hectares in size. Six homes were destroyed by the wildfire including Louise Johnny’s five-bedroom house, July 14.
Johnny along with her husband, son and daughter lived at the home on North Spencer Road beside the Lower Stein Valley trailhead entrance.
READ MORE: High temperatures expected to increase wildfire activity near Lytton
“My husband was watching it and we had our sprinklers on the lawn to water down and around the house and I just got home and I sat down and said ‘you know what hun, I’m going to pack a bag just in case,’” she said.
Within 10 minutes, her husband was already running into the house and yelling the fire had reached the backyard. She lost all of her possessions aside from what she hastily threw together.
“The fire was already just below our house on the road, just below the Stein entrance, it was already 25 feet in the air,” she said. “All of us were in shock.”
She said firefighters were in the area saving other houses but the wind was so fast, it carried the fire.
“It was so scary, I couldn’t believe it because I thought I would have more time so I could grab mementos.”
READ MORE: Apex Mountain preparing to use snow-making machines against wildfire
They corralled their six animals but a cat escaped and went missing until today, July 31, she said. Her sister-in-law’s house also burned down.
Louise Johnny's home before it was destroyed by wildfire.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Louise Johnny
Now, her husband, daughter, and son are staying in two camper trailers on the east side of the Fraser River that were provided by the Lytton First Nation the following day. They didn't have home insurance.
“Our whole family is going through grief,” Johnny said, adding they have been able to see the remains of her home since. “Everything was gone. I still can’t fathom that we don’t have a home. It’s unbelievable.”
Last year, the entire village of Lytton burned because of wildfire. Despite losing her home and the previous year’s devastation, Johnny said Lytton is a beautiful community where everyone knows each other and she plans to rebuild.
“I used to live in L.A… so I know what’s out there and I love this quiet… and the community has been so giving, it’s been so amazing because when we got here, we had nothing, no food, no pots, no nothing in these trailers and the community members came every day and gave us a hot meal, it was so amazing,” she said.
“It’s such an overwhelming kindness from this community…through all of it, it’s overwhelming because I’m under a lot of stress.”
Her family is able to partially fund a new home and would build a smaller home, with more wildfire-resistant materials, she said. They kept wood materials away from their former home but the dry grass in their yard easily caught fire.
B.C. Wildfire crews are working to establish a sprinkler system north of Seven Mile Creek today and helicopters will continue to drop water on areas with increased fire activity today. Steep terrain will also pose a challenge for firefighters.
Structure protection crews are monitoring the sprinkler systems located along the Stein Valley walking path and The Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park is closed due to the wildfire.
The Lytton First Nation could not be reached for comment by Sunday’s publication.
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