C.C. and I set out late one afternoon for the west coast. We didn’t know what the drive would be like. Fires burned throughout the interior. The news was grim. Had we left the next day, we’d have been forced to take a long detour as the Highway closed due to one of the fires swooping down from the mountain side, jumping the highway and cutting off access.

We couldn’t see the numerous fires burning all around but the air was heavy with the smell and feel of smoke. The sky ominous. Apocalyptic.

We made it through to the coast and spent ten wonderful days with family in Vancouver and on Gabriola Island. C.C. was happy to spend the week on Gabriola with my sister and her husband — gracious hosts they share their beautiful home on the mountainside overlooking the ocean with open arms, hearts and kitchen. Despite having broken a kneecap two months ago, my sister never fails to cook up delectable and copious amounts of vegan fare.

In Vancouver, I savoured time with my daughter and her family, my grandchildren filling my heart to overflowing with joy and laughter.

On Monday, the highway once again open for passage, we drove back beneath smoke-filled skies while fires continued to burn out of control, though not as pressing up against cities, villages and homes as before.

When we reached the area where the fire had jumped the highway, it was grim.

Burnt out trees. Downed powerlines. Shells of cars littered driveways where once a garage stood in front of a home that was now vanished.

The devastation was both surreal and terrifying.

I stand in awe of the courage shown by firefighters and those families who frantically safeguarded their dearest belongings, escorting their children and pets to safety.

A friend relayed a harrowing account: ash and smoke blanketed the sky for days. They were away when the winds changed, steering the fire towards their home. News of their community’s fate was scarce, leading to an agonizing night of uncertainty. Miraculously, the fire forked around their property, sparing them and their neighbors. But not everyone was as fortunate. On their side of the lake, 170 properties were either damaged or devoured by the flames, with another 139 in West Kelowna also lost.

And still, the fires persist.

Driving through the fire’s path, witnessing its unyielding march to the lake, was both a humbling and heart-wrenching experience. The scale of the devastation was overwhelming.

But in the midst of this tragedy, I find solace. No lives were lost. I’m grateful for the brave souls who confront such perils head-on, ensuring others find safety. And I’m relieved that our friends have a home to return to.

Namaste.

Scorched
By Louise Gallagher

Red hot
forest
earth
scorched black
grasses seared
grimy soot scattered
beneath billowing clouds
pregnant
with smoky vapors
wafting
on the wind
like ghostly messengers
telegraphing 
Mother Nature’s losses
to distant horizons.

Far above, soaring
swoops
of blue-sky sail
effortlessly to infinity.

In every ending 
a beginning
opens the door
to new tomorrows.