My parents still live on that property in Salmon Arm. For those lucky enough to not be near those fires, the secondary effect has been the smoke. The combination of causes aside, it’s not a situation that will likely change for the foreseeable future. The increase in fire severity is not solely due to climate change of course, with our misguided forest management also sharing the blame. This year’s fire season has been particularly destructive and may be on pace for another record as well as destroying the entire town of Lytton and many other homes around the interior. In the last decade we’ve had a catastrophic fire season nearly every other year. A few years later the Kelowna fires burned 25,600 hectares and destroyed 238 homes. “Shoulda logged it before it burnt” my logger friend joked. Harrowing, but seen as a freak event that wouldn’t reoccur anytime soon.
That fire was listed as a major BC historical wildfire, burning 6000 hectares and 40 buildings, but it was one of only 2 in the 90s worth mentioning.Īt the time it was an isolated incident. That changed in 1998, when the Mount Ida fire was perilously close to town and we were placed on 15 minute evacuation alert, spending a stressful few days clearing brush at top speed around the house, planning evacuation routes, and having ash raining from the sky, covering everything in grey. Summer skies were a deep blue never marred by smoke, and despite common lightning storms fires were small and easily controlled. Growing up we really didn’t experience any fires. In many ways the Okanagan is as nice or nicer than Victoria, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed with plenty of vacation properties and thousands of Albertans that come every summer. Though the winters were harsh (or at least used to be), the summers were positively lovely, with plenty of crystal clear lakes, proximity to mountains, and beautiful weather, combined with top notch wineries and an abundance of fruit of all kinds.
My parents chose the Okanagan because the gentle rolling hills reminded them of Bavaria where they had immigrated from.
They paid $75,000 for 160 acres in the early 90s, which created a powerful price anchoring effect but that’s another story. I grew up in Salmon Arm, and my parents have an acreage there.
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