Shelburne County Evacuees wonder if their homes are standing
As wildfires rage across Shelburne County, many evacuees question whether their homes are still standing.
“The level of stress and anxiety is overwhelming at times,” said Trudy Peterson.
“You can’t focus on that but when you do, it’s like you’re living somebody else’s life.” She said.
Firefighters are trying to tame three large wildfires—the largest is Barrington Lake fire, which as of mid-Thursday afternoon was more than 20,000 hectares.
The latest fire started Wednesday afternoon near Sandy Point, prompting evacuations, including 15 inpatients at Roseway Hospital.
As of Thursday, RCMP spokesperson said about 5,500-5,600 people have had to flee. That’s about 40 per cent of Shelburne County’s population.
As water bombers attack the fire from the air, Debbie Nickerson and her husband sat in their truck along highway 103, watching and wondering about their home.
The two live one minute away from where fire destroyed a bridge on Port Clyde Road in Clyde River.
“I’m afraid we may not have our house there,” said Nickerson.
Her concern matches hundreds of people across Shelburne County.
“We’re literally in a battle for our lives, and for our properties and for our homes,” said Shaun Hatfield, a councillor for the municipality of Barrington.
Hatfield said one thing that’s bigger than the fire is people’s love of community and family.
“We are standing together and supporting each other in the best ways we can during this time and we’re not going to go down without a good fight,” said Hatfield.
While some know they’ve lost their homes, cottages, or both, many are like
Trudy Peterson. She has no idea.
“It makes you feel sick,” said Peterson. She was forced to run from the fire twice.
“My heart goes out to all the people out there who already lost their homes,” Peterson said. “I could be in that boat too, I don’t know yet.”
As water bombers fight the fire from the air, crews on the ground are building lines around the fires to contain them.
“Again they’re not guaranteed stops but it’s going to give us a whole lot better chance,” said Rockwood.
Besides the local crews, DNR firefighters and air support from both New Brunswick and Newfoundland are on the way.
“Really happy to hear that our 20 pack is back from the NWT. They’re inbound right now and they’re going to be right on the line early this afternoon and working, pounding away and really happy to hear we have 17 of our American neighbours coming in,” said Rockwood.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.