Farmers defy evacuation orders, alerts, to protect homes from 85k hectare wildfire

BURNS LAKE (NEWS 1130) – It’s not just about the property, it’s everything that they know.

A group of farmers has taken it upon themselves to protect their properties near Burns Lake, which are being threatened by raging wildfires — particularly the Nadina Lake fire, which is more than 85,000 hectares in size.

“My dad right now, he is protecting our property up north from the wildfires,” explains Josias Tschanz, who spoke to NEWS 1130 from Vancouver. “It’s a community called the Southside, on the south side of Francois Lake near Burns Lake.”

He says his father, Hans, and others are defying evacuation orders and alerts to protect their homes and land because there’s a lack of help in that region to fight the fires.

“The firefighters that are fighting, there’s so little that they can simply not help, and there’s no firefighters in sight for some of these properties and they keep burning down.”

That’s why Tschanz says these people have taken it upon themselves to help one another, and try to take control of the situation. He explains they’re modifying things like tractors to fight the fires, and are working under difficult conditions.

There’s currently no power in the area of Southside, little fuel, and even food.

“Because the RCMP has made it very clear that no one can cross to the Southside right now without clear permits, and people that do, they even threaten with arrest. So it is extremely hard to go there.”

He says donations have been set up in both Burns Lake as well as Southside to help those affected.

There’s also little communication with those in Southside, due to the lack of reception and electricity.

The good news is that some food is getting through, but Tschanz says getting it is still a struggle — and dangerous.

“I think Grassy Plains is a small community where they can get some food, but it’s not always easy because going out means you could get trapped. If a tree falls down and is on fire, and a tree on the other side, and now you’re stuck in your car. It is extremely dangerous, and the smoke is toxic. So there’s a lot to worry about.”

There are currently hundreds of wildfires burning across B.C., and thousands have been forced to leave their homes. Tschanz wants people to know smaller communities are still in desperate need of more attention and help.

Tschanz says these people, including his father, are putting themselves at risk because their land and homes represent more than just physical property.

“Ninety per cent of the people there have no insurance, it’s very expensive to get insurance,” he tells NEWS 1130. “It’s not just their property that is burning, it’s their identity. It’s their retirement, it’s everything that they know. It’s their future. These people have no where to go.”

He says if these people loose everything, “it literally is everything.”

That includes livestock, which Tschantz says many have already lost.

So where do they draw the line when risking their lives?

“I think when it gets to the point where it becomes life and death, when [my father] is really trapped, he will go out. He will do his best to escape it. But right now, if that’s all you have and there’s no support, you have to ask yourself the question. ‘If everything that you had, everything that you owned, your future, your retirement, everything, would you not stand your ground and try to fight for it? Would you just abandon it if you know there’s no one that will come and help you?’… that’s a very difficult question to answer.”

While he doesn’t say whether staying is the right or wrong decision, Tschanz says he understands why his father and others have done so.

He believes the solution is to draw more attention to the situation, with the hopes of getting these kinds of communities more support and resources to fight large wildfires. Tschanz says his family has tried to voice their concerns to the right authorities.

Tschanz, who is a filmmaker, says he’s working on a documentary to show what those in the area are dealing with. He hopes to help raise money for those affected by the wildfires.

The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has implemented an Evacuation Order and Evacuation Alert for the Nadina Lake wildfire.

Defying an evacuation order not only puts the person in question at risk, but can also put emergency crews in danger. It can also impede fire suppression efforts, and the BC Wildfire Service strongly recommends against ignoring an order.

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