sa国际传媒業n my blood to fightsa国际传媒�: Shuswap residents tell why they defy fire evacuation

North Shuswap resident Kyle Boppre offers a simple explanation when asked why he defied an evacuation order issued as a wildfire bore down on his neighbourhood.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 just, I guess, in my blood to fight,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e were able to save our home.sa国际传媒�

Boppre and others in the small communities that dot the Shuswap regionsa国际传媒檚 waterfront felt like they were on their own, with no choice but to take the firefight into their own hands.

But authorities say that their actions put their lives at risk and imperil firefighting strategies. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said Wednesday the unwanted presence of evacuation scofflaws could prevent tactics such as water-bombing or controlled burns.

The 410-square-kilometre Bush Creek East in the Shuswap has resulted in evacuation orders being placed on more than 3,000 properties.

Most evacuation orders have been obeyed, but holdouts like Boppre and others stayed to fight the fires and believe the official response has been inadequate, incompetent, or non-existent.

Itsa国际传媒檚 not just officials who are unimpressed.

Trent Tucker, a professor at Thompson Rivers University, lost his home to the fires near Little Shuswap Lake.

He said itsa国际传媒檚 entirely irresponsible for people to stay back in evacuation order zones, and hesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒渆xtremely upsetsa国际传媒� by stories sa国际传媒渓ionizingsa国际传媒� those who have defied evacuation orders.

sa国际传媒淥ur home is completely gone and yet we have these dummies that stuck around behind and the news is treating them like some sort of heroes,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淭hey got lucky it wasnsa国际传媒檛 like the case in West Kelowna where people stayed back and then they had to get rescued behind fire lines by firefighters.sa国际传媒�

Boppre blames authorities.

He said a friend who tried to return to the area to join the fire fight encountered a police roadblock and when he tried to turn around he was chased down, his truck confiscated, and he was not allowed to return to his property in an evacuation zone.

The truck was filled with supplies including food, water, and gasoline, and he was sa国际传媒渃learly not a criminal,sa国际传媒� Boppre said.

sa国际传媒淭he government folks, the provincial folks that are trying to quote unquote save our properties,sa国际传媒� he added. sa国际传媒淐learly theysa国际传媒檙e not here.sa国际传媒�

Boppre, who runs a marine maintenance and scuba diving business, said members of the community have local knowledge of the geography, but officials from outside donsa国际传媒檛 seem to value it.

The community bonds are extremely strong among those whosa国际传媒檝e stayed behind, Boppre said.

sa国际传媒淲e cansa国际传媒檛 wait around for that help thatsa国际传媒檚 supposed to be here and watch our homes burn,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚f I did evacuate when they wanted me to, (I) definitely would have lost my entire livelihood.sa国际传媒�

Ma said that she recognized how difficult it is for people to leave their homes, but stressed the importance of following evacuation orders.

sa国际传媒淓vacuation orders must be followed. They are not suggestions, they are the law,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲hen unauthorized people are in evacuation areas, it escalates the danger involved for everyone.sa国际传媒�

Ron Jules, an elder with the Adams Lake Indian Band, lives down river from the community of Chase.

Jules, like Boppre, stayed behind despite an evacuation order and kept a sprinkler going on his roof.

sa国际传媒淲e cansa国际传媒檛 evacuate because we have to look after our home,sa国际传媒� he said, calling it sa国际传媒渁ll we got.sa国际传媒�

Jules said the band had put sprinklers on several community buildings including the school and health centre. He estimated about 70 per cent of the community complied with the evacuation order.

At a Columbia Shuswap Regional District briefing in Salmon Arm, board chairman Kevin Flynn said sa国际传媒渋tsa国际传媒檚 inexcusablesa国际传媒� that people are staying behind in the evacuation zones and tampering with equipment.

Flynn said there were reports that sprinklers protecting a wooden bridge in the Shuswap area were removed at least three times.

sa国际传媒淚 just cansa国际传媒檛 imagine anybody would think that is the right thing to do,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭hat is dangerous.sa国际传媒�

Forrest Tower with the BC Wildfire Service said Tuesday that the Shuswap area fire quickly turned into an inferno, likely never before witnessed in B.C.

sa国际传媒淭his is one of, if not the most, significant fire events we have ever witnessed in B.C.,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e had a fire that went from a 7,000-hectare fire, that went 20 kilometres south in under 12 hours and is now a 41,000-hectare fire. That is a force of nature similar to a tornado, similar to an earthquake or a tsunami.sa国际传媒�

Tower urged residents to leave firefighting equipment where it is.

sa国际传媒淲e have to have that equipment, the pumps, the hoses, the sprinklers, all that has to be there,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭hat gear, you might think you are doing something to help yourself, your neighbours, others, but I would really just urge if you could leave it to the professionals. They do have a plan.sa国际传媒�

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