"Fire War Zone": A disaster that struck Lytton and is scheduled to be rebuilt a year later

It's been a year since a huge fire devastated a small town in southern British Columbia. The indigenous people of Lytton adjacent to the village of Lytton.

In retrospect, Nyquia Hannah described it as a "war zone of fire." Strong winds propelled flames through homes, businesses and critical infrastructure, burning them to the ground when smoke darkened the sky.

About 10 minutes later,Lytton Nativescouncilor lost mobile phone service. He remembered his own fear of the safety of all and the moment of his courage that gave hope in the midst of a disaster.

"Everyone stepped into the entire community, going door-to-door, house-to-house, and picking up people everywhere to take them to the outskirts of the village," Hannah said. Told.

"People were just moving and moving, everyone was helping."

Read more: The Fire-Burned Lytton, British Columbia Insurance Department soon states that "it could prosper again"

A relentless fire killed two people, injured them, and evacuated hundreds. Many are still scattered around the hotel, with families or a handful of homes still standing in the area.

The story highlights the resilience of Lytton's inhabitants and the strength of local indigenous peoples, but most likely frustration with the pace of the reconstruction and recovery process.

"If this happens, I want to go home," said Public Security Minister B.C. Mike Fernworth the day before the anniversary of June 30th. "I fully and completely understand it. At the same time, it's a complex site. There's a lot of work to do."

According to Lytton Mayor Jan Polderman, is a toxicology report for this process. And more than 80 days were spent waiting for safe work procedures and 2 months to sift the debris of the fire.

The catastrophic flood last Novemberalso wiped out roads in the area and hindered efforts The winter brought the "biggest dump" of snow, "Polderman said he observed in 33 years.

Archaeological studies raise additional challenges, Fernworth added on Wednesday that a community of 1,200 people exists before the village of Lytton and needs to preserve cultural discoveries. I pointed out.

Read more: Fire Trial: BC Village. Teaches the world about climate adaptation

John Hogen, head of the Lytton Indigenous Peoples Reserve during a disaster, is optimistic that the reconstruction will be successful if everyone works together. Said that.

"This lifestyle is embedded in our DNA," Haugen told Global News, citing community connections with the region's air-dried salmon. "We are really connected to this area and really wanting to be a community again."

He described Lytton as a "powerful place." Part of that power comes from strong winds and heat.

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MayCatastrophic Loss Reduction Institute reportthat the root cause of Lytton's disaster is "not just wildfire problems, but easily ignitable structures. It was a house.

Read more: The federal government has donated $ 77 million to a new refractory building in Lytton, British Columbia.

According to its website, Lytton will be Canada's first community to adopt2021 National Guide for Wildland-Urban InterfaceFiresas a wildfire protection construction best practice. It's a schedule. Its reconstruction plans also include fire- and fire-resistant building materials, drought-resistant plants, solar road surfaces to reduce heat absorption, and other energy-efficient efforts.

The council has proposed a new building ordinance that includes a vegetation management plan and requires a new building permit application to reduce flammable materials near homes. Builders also need to glaze or heat-enhance windows, close eaves, and use non-combustible materials for roofs, doors, fences, etc.

"It's irreversible. It needs to be built better and it needs to be rebuilt better," Fernworth said. “One of the challenges with disasters has been to focus on how to deal with disasters. The reality is to understand risk and mitigation.”

Polderman and Fernworth estimate that the reconstruction of Lytton will begin this fall.

This includes two homes built by a company called Nexii, based in British Columbia. The proper material for this house, Nexiite, is fire resistant from the outside and inside and is tested in extreme heat for an hour. This will be the company's first residential building, which has traditionally focused on commercial and industrial buildings.

"We are clearly testing new ways to build here for Lytton. These are prototype homes," said Gregor Robertson, Executive Vice President of Nexus, in an interview. .. "Hopefully, we have the opportunity to continue doing this and make sure Lytton is rebuilt to be climate-friendly and climate-resistant."

Read more:"What to rebuild" Lytton, B.C. Residents say the property has not been cleared 10 months after the fire

One unit goes to Lytton and the other goes to Lytton Native. Housing is funded through a variety of private and government sponsors, according to Robertson.

In a news release, Chief Janet Webster of the Lytton Indigenous Peoples Reserve has a universally designed fireproof home. Said "bringing the family closer to the main" in the social circles of the community. She added that the country would study other fire-wise homebuilding techniques.

Mr. Haugen also said he would like to have more members trained in firefighting and emergency response.

B.C. Meanwhile, the government is reviewing the Emergency Program Act. Earlier this month, it unveiled a total funding plan ($ 513 million) for a new climate change strategy, including flood readiness and resilience plans, and expanding the role of wildfire services in BC.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Insurance Bureau of Canada Reportreports an estimated $ 5.3 billion annually to avoid the worst impacts of climate change at the municipal level. It costs money.

After the devastating flood in Grand Forks in May 2018, the municipality was identified as a "controlled retreat." I chose what is known. Take out about 90 homes and move people to harmless places instead of rebuilding them.

Read more: According to a report to Lytton, British Columbia, wildfires are becoming more of a community as the state prepares. Suggesting that fire resistance is needed

To increase the frequency and severity of disasters, Fernworth has more about suchclimate adaptationstrategies. I anticipate that there will be many conversations.

"It turns out that this happens over and over again in (Grand Forks), and it makes more sense to relocate," he said. "But it's a conversation, a conversation with the community and the inhabitants.

" These things aren't easy because we're talking about moving someone's house. "

Use Emad Agahi files

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