Jayel,

Reading your description, I lost all the words I could use to express my
feelings. I can say: =93 I can imagine=94 but I really cannot imagine wha=
t you are
experimenting; you and your neighbors. When I ask you the question, I cou=
ld not
realize how close you were to the disaster. You must live a life of const=
ant
fear. It is in time like this that we discover the goodness of people and=
their
generosity.

Lets hope that you get lots of rain soon. When you think that we have had=
more
share of rain this year. It is one thing that we cannot share.

I was so impressed by your letter that I decide to send it to my husband =
whose
computer is just in the next room. I thought he would be interested to re=
ad it.
When I send him something by e-mail, I shout what he should expect in his=
e-mail
from me. He told me that he listen the radio yesterday and one firefighte=
r said
that as he inspected the side of one road, he found at least 60 cigarette=
buds
on the side of a few 100 feet.

Before I got married, I went out with a boy that smoked and use to throw =
his
cigarettes through the window while driving. It made me mad and mad me th=
ink
that he may be a careless person then I quit going out with him.

Even when the fires will be completely out, your problems will be far fro=
m gone.
For many the real problems will just be starting. Losing a house like thi=
s is
like losing part of ourselves; our souvenirs and all those memories.

I hope that in Kamloops your house will be spared. I guest you can do not=
hing
more than hope and pray.

Fran=E7oise.

"J. Lane" wrote:

Hi Francoise,
Thanks for thinking of me and my neighbours here in..well, hot and smok=
y
B.C.
I live in Kamloops which is in the middle of all the conflagration.
Townships up the northern valley all the way from Kamloops to Barrierre=
(Some
60 km away) have had to evacuate to Kamloops. That's 10,000 people that=
had
to spend the entire long weekend living in motels, evac centers or frie=
nds
and families homes not knowing whether they had homes of their own to g=
o
back to. Many had to leave pets and livestock behind ( how to you evacu=
ate
two hundred head of cattle in twenty minutes? which was all the notice =
some
people had.)
One entire community was lost to the flames. Louis Creek consisted of a=
bout
forty homes. All gone now. Many of the residents could see their homes
burning behind them as they left. Another forty or so homes and bussine=
sses
in Barriere are also torched. Many of the homeowners do not know yet if=

their house was one of them. Officials want to do a lot by lot assesmen=
t
before they let them know so as to avoid mistakes and undue heartbreak,=
but
the homeowners are getting angry and upset anyway.
Knowing is better than not knowing.
Those closer to Kamloops were lucky. Thier homes are still intact and t=
hey
all returned home today. They are still on evacuation alert as are many=

other small communities in the area including Sun Peaks, a ski resort u=
p in
the mountains. They lost all their revenue this weekend since they had =
a
major festival planned. All the tourists were evacuated, but the reside=
nts
were put on alert.
There's another big fire near Vernon, about 50 km south east of Kamloop=
s.
This fire is in a more heavily forested area and is spreading fast. Sti=
ll
is! Towns in that area are of course on alert, but little damage has be=
en
done to homes. Another fire started last night in the Wells Grey Park s=
ome
80km north west. This is in valuable park land that is famous for
hiking,canoeing, white water rafting, waterfalls, you name it! In all t=
here
are 350 fires burning in B.C. and most are just burning wild because th=
ere
are not enough fire fighters or air support to deal with them.
The support for those who are evacuated has been both wonderful and
astonishing. Kamloopsians opened their doors, wallets and cupboards for=

them, and so did Vancouverites. 7 truckloads of bedding, clothes, toys,=
food
and water came to Kamloops today from a major tv station which asked fo=
r
donations from the public in Vancouver. A large drug chain drug store s=
end 5
or 6 trucks with personal supplies and water. The SPCA have been roundi=
ng up
stray animals in the evacuated areas and housing them as best they can.=
A
rodeo complex in Kamloops has taken in horses and cattle.Donations of a=
nimal
food have been appearing at the SPCA and the rodeo grounds. It's just
incredible how people have jumped in to help in any way they can!
Sorry for the long speech. I kind of needed to unload. It was pretty sc=
ary
when I woke up fron a nap on Friday afternoon to find the mountain acro=
ss
the river from me in flames and spending the last four days not knowing=

whether you would be hearing a knock on the door in the middle of the n=
ight,
and someone telling you to leave your home, now! The devastation is awf=
ul
and my heart goes out to those who've lost their homes and property.
--
Jayel
"Fran=E7oise" wrote in message
...
Jayel,

Are you living close to the fire? I was wondering. It must be terrible
for those who have to leave their house for security.

Fran=E7oise.