Telegraph Creek a 'construction zone' as crews rebuild after wildfire

The chief of the TahltanFirst Nation says Telegraph Creek, B.C., is a "construction zone" these days as crews continue their work to rebuild after a wildfire wreaked havoc on the community earlier this year.

But it may still be a month before people start moving back.

The community has been under an evacuation order since August. The Alkali Lakefire destroyed 120,000 hectares of forest and 47 structures, including 21 homes.

• B.C. wildfire worsens existing housing crisis in Telegraph Creek

Chief Rick McLean saideight mobilehomes are being installed in Telegraph Creek to serve as a temporary home for families.

About 30 workers are in the community every day. A mobile workers' camp with a capacity of 100people is expected to beset up in the community in the nextfew weeks, which will allow more workers to stay on site.

"Most of the debris and the burnt structures have been removed from the community," McLean said. "The sites have been remediated to where we can rebuild on them when the time is right. All the dangerous trees have been removed from the community."

McLean saidmuch of the work is being done through theTahltanNation Development Corporation.Many of the construction workers are local and work for the First Nation's development corporation.

Cabinet minister visits Telegraph Creek

Federal Minister of Indigenous Services Jane Philpott toured Telegraph Creek this week to see the aftermath.

"TheTahltan Nation itself incurred the worst structural damage of any First Nations community in recorded Canadian history," the minister wrote in a public Facebook post.

One of the structures destroyed was a residence for nurses.

• Chief says Telegraph Creek, B.C. wildfire area looks like scene from war film

McLean saidreinstating a nursing station is a priority, and two of the community's eightnewmobile homes have been assigned to house nurses.

But workers are racingagainst time and the weather, he added.

"It's a race against mother nature for the frost andfreeze-upright now," he said. "Everybody is working hard to get ahead of her."

The goal is to finish many of the mobile homes by Nov. 15, and have people movein by Dec. 15, McLean said.

Theevacuationorderissued in August still stands for Telegraph Creek, though some people who live outside the community have begun to return, McLeansaid.

• Yukon MLA helps family and friends leave fire-threatened Telegraph Creek

"For health and safety reasons, the evacuation order is in effect for the reserve and the immediate community of Telegraph Creek," he said. "We're not allowing anybody to move back in until we have services available."

So far, benefit concerts and other fundraisers have raised more than $85,000 to cleanup the community and help residents whose homes have been destroyed by the fire.