‘Get out now’: Summerland evacuee forced to leave livestock behind

A wildfire evacuee in Summerland is still waiting to find out if her 30 chickens are alive and when she and her family will be able to return home.

Sierra Noble lives on a property in Garnet Valley with her husband, two small children, four cats, two dogs and a flock of chickens.

When the order to evacuate from the rapidly moving Bald Range fire came on the evening of Aug. 8, they had very little time to gather their loved ones and flee.

“We got the first evacuation alert at around 5:30 p.m. and started getting packed but were also in the middle of dinner and family from Alberta had just arrived,” Noble said.

“We were trying not worry.”

Noble said no one at the house received the second alert, telling residents to evacuate immediately. She was informed by friends in Oliver, who later took her family into safety.

“We were one of the last properties to evacuate down Garnet Valley,” she said. “We weren’t aware the magnitude of the situation until we had firemen at our gate telling us to get out now.”

What ensued was chaotic.

“Me and my husband were running around and I went to the crawlspace to grab cats while he was packing up kids and my sister was grabbing stuff for the pets,” she said. “A couple of us were calling cats outside and got our last cat within five minutes of everything being shut down.”

Packed into four vehicles, the group fled and stopped to regroup at an area on Jones Flat Road.

“We watched the fire come over the mountain and light up and it was unbelievable how quickly it spread,” Noble said. “I’ve never seen fire move so fast.”

The Bald Range fire was detected on the evening of Friday, Aug. 7, and spread at an exceptionally rapid rate, growing to more than 100 square kilometres in a matter of hours, where it was blazing on the northern and western fringes of Summerland. The entire town was evacuated just after midnight along with thousands of Peachland residents and more than 400 properties in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. As of Aug. 11, the fire was nearly 180 square kilometres in size.

Noble’s family had an evacuation plan in place since surviving a wildfire a few years ago to ensure the safety of their kids, pets and livestock, but they didn’t have time to execute it.

Like so many livestock owners in wildfire emergencies, Noble was forced to leave her chickens behind. She said she is emotional and fearful for their wellbeing.

“I’d banged on the coop door to wake them and put a rock on the door to keep it open. I’m hopeful the chickens made it to our main house where we had a roof sprinkler and irrigation going.”

She recently contacted the Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team, a volunteer team in the area dedicated to rescuing animals during disasters, and filled out a form for permission to enter her property early to check on the birds and is waiting to hear back.

“From what I’ve read online, it’s taking people a couple of extra days to get permission which is completely understandable in this situation,” she said.

On Monday, Noble learned from a neighbour, who stayed behind and grabbed some photos, that her property is still standing.

“I don’t have the words to describe my gratitude,” she said. “I know a few neighbours have lost houses around us, I just couldn’t imagine it, my heart goes out to them. It’s terrible to not have the power to save your home, your memories and everything.”

With her family safe with friends, she’s expecting the evacuation order won’t be lifted for at least another week.

“We’re just waiting for an update from the town on when they’ll start letting people back in,” she said. “Garnet Valley got hit hard so it might be a bit longer for us. I want to look for my birds and make sure they’re OK, I’m worried they’re now out of food.”

The worry for her livestock, neighbours and community is taking an emotional toll.

Noble said she’s having difficulty sleeping at night, however, she is uplifted seeing members of the community coming together.

“I’m thankful to the fire department and people who have stepped in to save livestock,” she said. “It’s heartwarming to see everyone supporting one another and keeping each other updated as events unfold.”

— With files from The Canadian Press