This is the damage in Scotch Creek, B.C., after wildfire
Residents were told to evacuate their homes amid a fire that ripped through the Shuswap Lake area, reducing some homes and businesses to ash.
3,000 residents told to evacuate as Lower East Adams Lake fire burns through Shuswap region of B.C.
CBC News
Evacuees are pictured while taking a boat to Celista, B.C., on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Ash,a giant heap of rubble and metal scrapsare all that remain of Jason Martinson'sshop where he makes custom docksnear the shores of Shuswap Lake, in Scotch Creek, B.C.
Martinson, the owner of Triton Docks, surveyed the damage on Saturday after northerly winds blew the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire into Scotch Creek, located about 100 kilometres northeast of Kamloops, where he works and lives.
Residents of more than 3,500 properties in B.C.'s Shuswap region had to evacuate on Friday and Saturday as "extreme fire behaviour" entered the area, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) and local emergency officials.
Among those evacuated were Jordon Byerley, a local firefighter, his daughterCamilla and sonBrixton,the children's auntand their two puppies. The group, along with others, took a boat on Saturday to the town of Celistaon the north shore of Shuswap Lake.
CBC News photographer Ben Nelmstravelled with them to witness the destruction.
A floating dock is pictured surrounded by wildfires in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Saturday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
A sign showing an extreme wildfire warning stands amid the rubble of the former Scotch Creek fire department building. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Jason Martinson, who owns Triton Docks, and his friend John visit Martinson's shop and home, which were destroyed by wildfires in Scotch Creek. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Northerly winds blew the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire into Scotch Creek, located about 100 kilometres northeast of Kamloops, B.C. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Vehicles were destroyed along with buildings during the wildfire. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
A line of trucks was destroyed due to the blaze. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Firefighter Jordon Byerley carries his two puppies while taking a boat to Celista. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Byerley's daughter Camilla and son Brixton board a boat to Celista near Sorrento, B.C. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Damaged property is pictured along the coast of Little Shuswap Lake near Scotch Creek. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Camilla, her brother Brixton and their aunt are pictured taking a boat to Celista. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Byerley, along with his daughter and son, brace themselves from the wind. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Byerley watches over his daughter and son on the boat. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
The Scotch Creek fire department building was among those destroyed by wildfire. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
B.C. Wildfire Service could not confirm the number of homes or buildings burned down and is still assessing the damage. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
B.C. Wildfire Service spokesperson Forrest Tower said the fire grew about 20 kilometers in 12 hours, which is among the fastest growth ever recorded in B.C. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Byerley's daughter Camilla carries a puppy as she walks ashore from a boat following a wildfire in B.C.'s Shuswap area. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Cars and trucks line the beach of Shuswap Lake between Celista and Scotch Creek to escape a nearby wildfire. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
A burned car sits among blackened trees under an ashy sky in Scotch Creek. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Swaths of Scotch Creek were scorched to the ground, but B.C. Wildfire Service says most of the damage was east in Celista. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
An office was razed to the ground by the wildfire. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Scenes of destruction as Shuswap region burns in B.C.
1 year ago
Duration 0:43
Hundreds of people have fled their homes, some forever, as flames closed in on the North Shuswap region of B.C.'s Interior, leaving a trail of devastation.
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