[xerxes]

Supposedly by the weekend the winds will shift, for the coast at least, and we might even get some rain.

I'll believe it when I see clear skies again. But I really hope we get a reprieve soon. The Fraser Valley is in a grey, smokey pall. You smell smoke the second you step outside and it's awful.

[Tricks]

BRAH BRAH:

It seems to be getting worse, is there any end in sight?

Yeah. Winter.

[Strutz]

herbie herbie:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

I lol'd when I read that.

It's fucking Facebook. Even more effort required to skim out the idiots and assholes!

Posted on a FB info group that they were no longer giving out vouchers for self-evacuees. Goddam response was instant, I was full of shit, so and so just said they got a week's vouchers, so and so's sister heard that so and so got a 3 day voucher.
I went to the evac center, we only got one yesterday because they didn't open until AFTER most motel & hotel checkout times. Somebody forgot that little tidbit when they made up "policy".
The lady on crutches ahead of us got one no problem, self-evacuation for health reasons because your throat might get sore from smoke doesn't cut it, especially when no matter where you go, it's smoky! SO the 20 something after us didn't get a voucher.
People were posting methods to appeal and what gov't official to call....
like if you're able to wheedle and whine all fucking day you ain't away for legit health reasons!
I had to post I was coming home because I wanted to and only let cuz the wife succumbed to the fucking panic you assholes were spreading. Yeah she has asthma but she hasn't pulled her fucking inhaler out once in the last week!
I regret leaving when I could've stayed and volunteered to help with something, she does too as she could've stayed and help keep the supermarket running when all but the managers ran away. Guilted out maybe when she heard 2 dozen townspeople from the volunteer center showed up to unload the supply truck that got though and stocked the shelves.

I spent a few years in a very small community so I can relate to how shit can get blown out of proportion and cause a reaction within. Drove me nuts sometimes.

So, is it possible for you to get back home now?

[Strutz]

Tricks Tricks:

BRAH BRAH:

It seems to be getting worse, is there any end in sight?

Yeah. Winter.

In recent conversations I've had some people are rooting for autumn to come and soon! It will mean rain and cooler temps which some are looking forward to.

Funny how, after a wet spring and everyone praying for summer and sunshine to arrive, I was thinking yeah, it will be a hot dry summer and by mid-August everyone will be wishing for rain.

Oh, and as a side note to my previous post YVR still has flights coming in on the usual flight path. Once it got darker we could see flashing lights on incoming airplanes, just not the airplanes themselves.

It's spooky out there with the moon glowing orange, smoke hanging in the air and earlier when out on the deck a bat flew by...

[herbie]

I am back home now. When we were at the evac place in Terrace first thing we asked was "can we go home now?". Tuesday they called those with a higher pay grade and said yes, but they didn't get that info until after checkout times at hotels had passed, so they covered Tuesday meals and lodging as well. Made sure we had meds and puffers (wife needs) and we ready to supply those free. They were super staff at the evac places, friendly, helpful and sympathetic.
Burns lake to Vanderhoof the smoke was as thick as in those YouTubes you've probably seen, night during the day, but it wasn't too bad when we finally got home. This morning, it's lifted in town and you can see high cloud out there. Wife is volunteering at the supermarket (she's on official vacation now) cat is happily back hunting mice and shrews.
Fire's still growing, but in another direction. The Mayor and Town still posting panicky shit on their web page even though the threat's not even in their jurisdiction anymore and FB and my phone are buzzing non-stop from people away asking 'what about the wind? Blah blah blah'. So mad I'm replying you've had 2 fucking weeks with this wind could change bullshit, a meteor could strike or a gamma ray burst could happen too. Get your ass home.
There's still the issue that the loggers can't log because of the fire and the mills have shut down temporarily. I'd go on vacation but it's smoky and shitty everywhere and we already saw the grandkids when we evac'd to their town. Little ingrates are more interested in their phones and tablets anyways

[Thanos]

Was your town on Horgan's sympathy tour itinerary? Nice of him to make an appearance here and there after being reminded that there was more to the province than just the hippie collective stretching along the Burnaby-Vancouver-Victoria axis.

[herbie]

No, he went to Prince George. That's where all the evacuees were. So did Trudeau, and they would've been deserving criticism if they hadn't.
A couple locals posted the same gripe and got shot down over that.
No airports with long enough runways in these little towns anyways, they managed flyovers of the fire sites.
Now they're busy griping about not using a water pipe/sprinkler system they deployed here in another town where the terrain, water access and property layouts are totally different. Lots of Joe Plumbers who know better than the professionals in any situation. Others griping that the Bands got 'better' services than they did (the Bands coordinated their own among themselves), and that "wealthy people" were entitled to the same level of evacuation support as they were.
Had someone say we were stoopid cuz we drove 1200km to make sure we, the pets were safe and the granddaughter got from the PG evac home to Terrace and didn't hit up the gov't for gas vouchers. And for using 2 days of vouchers when we could have got 7... FFS I'm on pension, the wife's a grocery clerk and we manage to have our own money. FFS there's ppl that got gas, food, lodging PLUS $1000 emergency pay from the mill they work at and are whining "how do we get home... we have no money" after less than a week away.

[herbie]

Hah hah! After that week of traveling the puppy's decided he likes her SUV better then my Wrangler. He can get in and out himself, the seats are lower and he fits in the storage space underneath them.
I guess if the winds change and we have to go again he rides with her and the cat will assume it's position yeowling on my dashboard again.

Some things you never think of in an emergency: A couple days before we evac'd I went to renew her car insurance and the agency was closed, only open a couple hours daily as most staff evac'd. Forgot about it in the panic and discovered when we got home, the insurance ran out days before we got back... drove 1/2 way across the province without insurance!
Went to renew and they wouldn't renew the comprehensive as we were in the fire zone! Same shit they pulled with "oh so fucking glorious private insurance" with homeowners last year.
Made them call ICBC head office as how can one arm of gov't say go home and the other say no insurance, and sure enough there was an override code to use not up on the web app they use yet. Got full insurance.
But found out a friend sold his house, quick sale it was empty and the buyer moved in. Discovered bank wouldn't release the funds as the buyer couldn't get insurance because the zone is under fire alert. The seller can't cancel, or there would be NONE at all... so he's got a 'renter' until two months after the emergency is lifted.
Tell me again the benefits of privatization?

[BRAH]

It's been raining most of the day and what a difference it makes, hopefully it lasts for a few days. It's interesting PM Selfie made a visit in BC because during the Ft Mac Wildfire he couldn't find the time to visit evacuees at the evacuation centre in Edmonton.

[Sunnyways]

BC's future does not look good.

[herbie]

No shit. When they give logging companies low rates to clear out all that burnt standing timber, the Yanks will say it's proof of a subsidy and impose 1000% tariffs on lumber.