(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)

Pleas for help from an online donation site provide a glimpse into the impact of the McDougall Creek wildfire on local residents lives.

Over the past few weeks, many evacuated West Kelowna residents have found themselves in a stressful waiting period.

Having lost their homes, possessions and livelihoods many are nervously awaiting insurance money or provincial aid as they look towards an uncertain and daunting future. 

During this time, dozens upon dozens of new posts have been created on GoFundMe petitioning for financial aid and community support for the victims of the wildfire.  

Most of the posts come from well-meaning friends and relatives trying to garner support for their grieving and frightened loved ones.

The Kelowna General Hospital Respiratory Therapy department created a fund for their fellow respiratory therapist Elyse and her husband Bill Myers.

The couple have been living in West Kelowna for eight years. Bill works as a volunteer firefighter. While he was on duty, his home was destroyed by the fire.  

“Between working full-time and raising their two young children, Bill and Elyse single-handedly put in endless hours renovating to complete their home,” organizer Renee Faubert wrote on the page.

“Bill is a volunteer firefighter for Wilson's Landing Fire Department. While Bill was working tirelessly on the front line of this fire, his own home was lost. Bill continues to be one of the many firefighters working 24/7 to save homes."

The site also features stories of inconceivable hardship like that of the Lacey family who lost their home to a fire twice. 

Patrick and Caroline Lacey and their two young children lost their home in the McDougall Creek wildfire shortly after it was rebuilt from a house fire a few years ago. The family were unable to get insurance and are now relying on donations from generous community members. 

“Patrick is the owner/builder, not a contractor, so they could not get insured for 'course of construction' and were racing to final inspection when this happened,” organizer Shae Lacey wrote on the page. “This has been a devastating loss for their family, losing all their memories, belongings and housing they've managed to rebuild since the previous fire.”

The Broken Rail Ranch have received significant support from loved ones and the local community as their daughter has tried to draw up funds to help rebuild their ranch.

“When my parents bought [the ranch] in 2015, several months of restoration had to occur before the property was safe to live on for both humans and animals. It earned the name Broken Rail because of the state of the fence posts,” Lawrie said on the post. “Once restored, the ranch quickly became a haven for all living creatures. Over a dozen horses have been saved from the meat industry.”

Meagan Boyley created a fundraiser for her family, who were also left without a home after the McDougall Creek wildfire swept through their neighbourhood.

“Memories, home-made art and the majority of their personal effects are now dust. Having to evacuate in a frightening panic left them time to grab only a few possessions and their pet snake,” she said. “They are in need of funds for everything from basic necessities like clothes and food, as well as finding somewhere else to live.”

Laurel Persowich created a fundraiser for her friend, Neil Martin, who also lost all his possession in the fires.

“His life has been irrevocably changed,” Persowich said on the page. “We are grateful for all the support given to the evacuees by various services in and around Kelowna, but it will take more to help him get back on his feet. He will have to start from scratch for everything including a new place to live, clothes, furniture, replacing essential documents, and the list goes on.”

Loriann Ingvarsson shared the story of her friends, who lost their home of 33 years and their jobs at the Lake Okanagan Resort.

Denica, Derrek and Jennifer are a family based in West Kelowna, who have all served at the Wilson’s Landing Fire Station as firefighters.

“The loss of their jobs has made the loss of their home that much harder, as they have no income to support themselves while waiting for the insurance company to review their file,” said Ingvarsson on the post. “These two are the type of people that would open their door to anyone in need and be there to support people when going through difficult times.”

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