British Columbiasa国际传媒檚 2023 wildfires were a life-changing disaster for many, and their impact has echoed into the holiday season.

The fire season was already breaking records by mid-August when forecasters warned that dry lightning and strong winds on the way were a recipe for catastrophe. Thousands were forced to leave in the southern Interior ahead of fast-moving wildfires. Fire officials described a ferocious fight to save homes, but hundreds were burned to their foundations in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions.

From fire chiefs, to those who lost their homes, to Pumba the pig, heresa国际传媒檚 how some affected by the emergency are spending their holiday season:

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sa国际传媒業 DONsa国际传媒橳 THINK WEsa国际传媒橵E EVER BEEN STRONGERsa国际传媒�

Paul Zydowicz is among 13 members of the Wilsonsa国际传媒檚 Landing Fire Department who lost their homes when a wildfire tore through their small community on the shores of Okanagan Lake in August.

The fire chief said the disaster sa国际传媒渆clipsedsa国际传媒� everything else they experienced this year.

sa国际传媒淩egardless of what else happened in everybodysa国际传媒檚 lives, we just keep on going back and talking about the fire,sa国际传媒� Zydowicz said.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a lot of associated stress, theresa国际传媒檚 a lot of trauma, theresa国际传媒檚 a lot of sadness, but I think overall, the community is pretty positive in our plans going forward.sa国际传媒�

As terrible as it was, Zydowicz said the destructive fire has pulled people together.

sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 think wesa国际传媒檝e ever been stronger as far as the feeling of community.sa国际传媒�

Zydowicz said the holiday season will help people as they try to sa国际传媒済o back to normal,sa国际传媒� but itsa国际传媒檚 hard to start from scratch.

sa国际传媒淎ll the Christmas decorations that arensa国际传媒檛 there anymore, that yousa国际传媒檝e accumulated for 20, 30 years sometimes, and the older folks, longer than that,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淵ou cansa国际传媒檛 have those things your kids made sa国际传媒� that used to hang on the tree every year.sa国际传媒�

He and his family are renting a house in nearby West Kelowna, where they can stay for up to two years as they start the process of rebuilding.

Others have temporary arrangements, as they struggle to find a home in the rental market, he said.

Zydowicz said hesa国际传媒檚 heard of insurance companies indicating it could be three or four years before some residents will be able to return home after rebuilding.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 rather massive, because we just added 200 homes to be rebuilt in a very small area and sa国际传媒� you know, the rest of the province was burning too.sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒�

Looking ahead, Zydowicz said he hopes the landscape starts showing signs of recovery and the rebuilding process is smooth for those who lost their homes.

sa国际传媒淩ebuilding is part of it, but theresa国际传媒檚 only so much we can do about nature and Isa国际传媒檓 hoping that we have nature help us with making the area look green again, because thatsa国际传媒檚 what was the magic about our little neck of the woods here.sa国际传媒�

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sa国际传媒業Tsa国际传媒橲 JUST GONNA BE A LOT OF HARD WORKsa国际传媒�

Jesse Zeman and his family use to host holiday gatherings at their property, where people could skate on an outdoor rink and go tobogganing.

But their home was destroyed in the wildfire that raced through forest and suburbs in West Kelowna in August.

sa国际传媒淭he good news is we have a place now and get to see some family over the holidays and yeah, so thatsa国际传媒檚 the silver lining I guess,sa国际传媒� he said.

After the fire, Zeman and his wife and two children stayed with family, then lived in a short-term rental for months before finding a new place at the beginning of December.

He said the family will be there for about six months as they wait on their insurance claim so they can begin rebuilding.

Zeman said itsa国际传媒檚 been somewhat overwhelming trying to deal with the preparations to rebuild, but over the holidays, theysa国际传媒檒l be spending time with family sa国际传媒渁nd taking time to relax.sa国际传媒�

The stress of dealing with the areasa国际传媒檚 tight rental market after the fire was difficult to manage, he said, but the flip-side has seen those in his neighbourhood come together to support each other.

sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 see any miracles on the horizon. Itsa国际传媒檚 just gonna be a lot of hard work,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 definitely, I would say, brought our neighbourhood together for sure, which has been really good. Everybodysa国际传媒檚 reaching out and in contact and supporting each other. So, thatsa国际传媒檚 been thatsa国际传媒檚 been pretty, pretty awesome for sure.sa国际传媒�

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sa国际传媒楳AKING IT THROUGH, BUT NOT WITHOUT DIFFICULTYsa国际传媒�

Jennifer Hansen helped feed firefighters and evacuees during the wildfires and said shesa国际传媒檚 one of the lucky ones this Christmas in West Kelowna.

The Salvation Army captain said shesa国际传媒檒l be spending Christmas in her home, with her family, putting up decorations that have been part of her holiday traditions for years.

Others wonsa国际传媒檛 be so fortunate, said Hansen who is hearing from people who lost their homes in the wildfires who are struggling emotionally and financially.

sa国际传媒淔or me it was an inconvenience,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲e were out of our house for 10 days but we went back and everything was there as is and I got to pull out my decorations and put them up.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淪ome of these folks tell stories of them thinking back to the Christmas decorations that were very sentimental to them that were passed down through the family and over time, that the kids made for them or a parent gave to them, and they donsa国际传媒檛 have those anymore,sa国际传媒� Hansen said.

She said Christmas can also be a reminder for some of everything that was lost.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 pretty heartbreaking, heartbreaking stories that wesa国际传媒檙e hearing,sa国际传媒� said Hansen. sa国际传媒淚t is difficult and I donsa国际传媒檛 think Isa国际传媒檒l play it down and say, sa国际传媒榠tsa国际传媒檚 not that bad.sa国际传媒� People are making it through but not without difficulty.sa国际传媒�

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sa国际传媒楢 VERY DIFFERENT CHRISTMASsa国际传媒�

The scars of the McDougall Creek wildfire that raced through West Kelowna in August are plainly visible this holiday season.

West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said groups are coming together every day to support those who lost their homes.

sa国际传媒淎nd itsa国际传媒檚 devastating to look up on the hills there and see the scars, and know that means a very different Christmas for those whose homes were lost.

sa国际传媒淭he early days of the fire were difficult physically for us because we were working hard and we werensa国际传媒檛 sleeping or eating properly,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淏ut I think that as time has gone on, things have become more challenging mentally.sa国际传媒�

But Brolund sa国际传媒� who became a nationally known figure due to daily fire briefings and went on to address the United Nations sa国际传媒� said the wildfire has also brought out the best in the community as people rallied around firefighters and those who lost their homes.

He said that, just as the scars of the fire are still visible, so are signs along the edge of the highway with messages of gratitude and support for emergency response staff and others.

sa国际传媒淭he number of cards and signs that were at the firehall was overwhelming,sa国际传媒� Brolund said. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a sign up in the firehall here from a family that lost their home, and we walk by that every day.sa国际传媒�

He said the fire brought the importance of family back into focus.

sa国际传媒淣one of this would have been possible for our firefighters if it wasnsa国际传媒檛 for our families,sa国际传媒� Brolund said. sa国际传媒淭he majority of our firefighters were evacuated during this fire, and they didnsa国际传媒檛 have time to go home to pack. So, none of this (effort) would have happened if it wasnsa国际传媒檛 for the families taking care of that at home.sa国际传媒�

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PUMBA THE PIG sa国际传媒楯UST LIVING HER BEST LIFEsa国际传媒�

Pumba the pig didnsa国际传媒檛 just survive when a wildfire swept over the Broken Rail Ranch in West Kelowna in August.

Shesa国际传媒檚 thriving, according to Keramia Lawrie, whose parents own the ranch. She said Pumba was looking forward to a Christmas meal of turkey leftovers and maybe some spaghetti.

Lawrie said Pumba emerged from the disaster with a taste for pasta thanks to firefighters who took care of her after she was found alive in the ruins of the ranch.

A helicopter pilot initially threw granola bars from the air to sustain Pumba but later other firefighters sa国际传媒淒oorDashed her spaghetti,sa国际传媒� said Lawrie.

She said Pumba refused to eat her regular diet after being sa国际传媒渟o spoiledsa国际传媒� by the fire crews, but she wonsa国际传媒檛 begrudge a Christmas feast for the hog.

sa国际传媒淚 think she deserves that. She is a survivor,sa国际传媒� Lawrie said.

When the fire swept over the farm in August, Lawriesa国际传媒檚 father, Jeff Findlay, had to escape without Pumba and her sister Miss Wilbur. Pumba was spotted from the air roaming on a patch of grass, but Miss Wilbur didnsa国际传媒檛 survive.

Lawrie said Pumba appeared to have overcome the loss of Miss Wilbur and moved on with her life.

sa国际传媒淚 think we are gonna get her another pig eventually, but right now she seems pretty happy hanging out with the goats and the horses,sa国际传媒� said Lawrie. sa国际传媒淪he gets lots of attention.sa国际传媒�

Pumbasa国际传媒檚 daily routine involves lots of napping and when she is awake, she hangs out with other farm animals.

sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 kind of her day, she is very spoiled. She doesnsa国际传媒檛 have to work or anything,sa国际传媒� laughed Lawrie.

Community volunteers have come together over the past few months to help rebuild the farm, including a little hut for Pumba to replace the one destroyed in the fire.

sa国际传媒淪he loves it. Shesa国际传媒檚 very happy,sa国际传媒� said Lawrie. sa国际传媒淪hesa国际传媒檚 really just living her best life.sa国际传媒�

Two mysteries remain, Lawrie said. The first is how the giant pig survived in the eye of the wildfire storm. The second is how much she weighs because shesa国际传媒檚 now too big to fit on the scale.

READ ALSO: West Kelowna ranch heart sa国际传媒榖rokensa国际传媒� after losing property, beloved pig to fire

READ ALSO: 13 Wilsonsa国际传媒檚 Landing firefighters lose their homes to McDougall Creek wildfire