Fire department rises from the ashes after last year's devastating wildfire season

Well, this was where the the bicycles melted. Memories of the destruction are singed into Rob Baker’s memory. For 20 years, he and his wife Anique lived in their home with breathtaking views of Okanogan Lake until a raging inferno burned it to the foundation 8 months ago. Yeah, it’s amazing how it turns to nothing. You you look at a whole entire house and then when you look at, you know, a pile of rubber, you think we’re where did it all go? Unlike most who lost their homes to the fire, Baker saw his up close, engulfed in flames. The captain with the local Volunteer Fire Department. Any sort of shock or it came later. It came later. We were busy, We were tired, we were working hard, we were sweaty, and we were doing the job. Baker wasn’t the only one on his team who lost a home that night. A dozen of his colleagues suffered a similar fate as the fire destroyed homes all along the western side of Okanogan Lake. This is our water tender. Fire Chief Paul Zinovich’s house wasn’t spared. He led the Volunteer Fire Department through some of its darkest hours. That was a pretty big hit. Thirteen of the 25 lost houses, so that’s something that we’re all dealing with and reeling from also. But some of the toughest work was yet to come, long after the fire was extinguished. The complicated process of dealing with insurance companies is still underway for many on the team. Zydovich says it can be exhausting and half of his department is going through it. When the fire happened and we burned down, I figured, yeah, we’ll be in our house in a year and a half. That’s completely unrealistic, you know, from date of loss. I’d say two to three years if you’re lucky. Evidence of the fire is everywhere, from the burnt out vehicles in front of the fire hall to the forest right behind where trees jut out of the scorched earth like black and matchsticks living through a disaster like this, however. Has built Right now we are super strong. It’s an absolutely great place to be. People are motivated. Not only is the fire department stronger, it’s growing in numbers. It’s been amazing that even after all of these losses, we haven’t had a single firefighter leave the department. And in fact we’ve done some training, brought 3 new firefighters on board, and as we head into what experts say could be a very challenging fire season, this fire department says it’s ready for whatever this summer brings. Brady Strachan, CBC News, near West Kelowna.