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Saturday, July 18, 2009

Prayers Needed Folks

In 2003 there was a huge forest fire across the lake from my home, in Okanagan Mountain Park, which wound up burning down over 200 homes in Kelowna.
We arrived just days before it started, when we first moved to the Okanagan with our family.
This year, we arrived yesterday, and today there is a new forest fire, that is currently burning down homes...in Glenrosa of West Kelowna (aka Westbank, where I live).
I was shopping with mom and D in town (Kelowna), and on our way home we could see smoke...fearing the direction that it was coming from (as you have to drive around a small mountain called Mt. Boucherie) because it looked like it might have been in our Mobile Home park. We phoned home from mom's cell, and found out that it was actually up in Glenrosa, behind Gorman Brother's Mill. We figured it would get put out quickly, as they already had water bombers and firefighters galore on it.
Not so.
It has gone on to burn down homes, and caused the evacuation of Glenrosa.
It brings back so many memories for me.
The sky is blacked out with smoke, there is no sun, and the sound of the water bombers and helicopters are repetitive, and every few minutes. Sirens, people pulling over to the side of the road, my neighbors are all gathered at the end of the road watching with binoculars, strangers stop to talk about it, and everyone looks with anxious eyes.
I get goosebumps, just thinking about it...and chills when I look at it.
Pray for those who are refusing to leave right away, and pray for those who will not have a home to return to once the evacuation is through. Pray for the firefighters and their safety, and that it will stay up there, and not come in our vicinity.
Thankfully, if it comes to it, we're still packed with suitcases and camping gear ready to go. Mom doesn't have insurance on the house, so pray it doesn't work it's way into town.
I feel like crying, as I've just gotten home to the welcome sights of the valley, and this is what I'm forced to watch, in silent horror, because my kids are watching how I react.
God, I hope everyone stays safe.

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