Okanagan rancher Devyn McMillan thought her family was prepared for a wildfire.
She’d made it through the White Rock Lake fire in 2021, and had evacuation plans in place. But those plans quickly went sideways when the Bradley Creek wildfire tore through her property on Friday night.
McMillan — who was in the Yukon for work at the time — said when the winds shifted, her family only had five minutes to leave. Her six-year-old daughter didn’t even have time put her shoes on.
“The fire was on their heels. It had went from the bottom and came up our hill, and it came from the top over the mountain,” she said.
“That was not a fire that anyone could have fought and lived through … that was a path of destruction.”
From afar, McMillan coached her family and ranch hand on what to do with their animals, including their 13 horses.
She said friends tried to come up with trailers to evacuate their horses, but were turned away because of the fire risk. With the flames getting closer, those on the property had to act fast and turn the horses loose.
“You never want to turn your animals loose, and just pray that they make it, but they had to do that,” she said.
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Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson said at least 200 homes have been lost to the wildfire.
He toured the destruction earlier this week.
“I didn’t recognize my own community. It looked like a war zone. It was really heartbreaking,” he said.
McMillan told CBC News some evacuees fled by boat because they couldn’t get into their driveways.
She recognized her house in a video right away.
“I knew which house was mine and it looked like it exploded,” she said.
A shop on the property was also destroyed along with a trailer and logging truck, she added.
Her 13 horses survived.
“They are such smart animals. They knew that they would be safe in the arena they ran back into the arena and they all hunkered down,” she said.
One of her horses was found at her grandmother’s house which was untouched by the blaze.
“He has never been to her house before. How did he know to go there?” McMillan said.
Family and friends thought they lost their pig, Jellybean, after her pen was found scorched to the ground.
McMillan said emergency personnel initially told them her pig was gone, but against all odds, Jellybean survived.
Jellybean suffered some burns and was found dehydrated but is now safe in the care of her friends.
“It’s kind of turned into a bit of a success story. I mean although we lost everything, I’m grateful to know everyone is safe, the animals are safe.”
