B.C. firefighters who lost their homes hailed for selfless effort saving their neighbours' houses

When Annick deGooyer had to leave her home near West Kelowna, B.C., due to a wildfire evacuation order last Thursday, her husband was among the firefighters battling the blaze.

Rob Baker is one of about 25 firefighters with the Wilson's Landing Fire Department, working north of West Kelowna in one of the areas most affected by the McDougall Creek wildfire. 

While her husband was helping save their neighbours' homes, their own home in Traders Cove ended up being consumed by flames.

It turned out that more than half of the department's crew — who are on-call volunteers, having retired from their previous professions — also lost their homes to the fire.

"It was a horrible night, but I don't think they reflected on that so much as they just did what they could, first of all, to get people out of the neighbourhood for the evacuation," she told host Chris Walker on CBC's Daybreak South.

"Obviously, they were just doing their job, and probably the emotions can come later."

Paul Zydowicz, chief of Wilson's Landing Fire Department, confirmed with CBC News on Wednesday that 14 members of his team had lost their homes. 

'Commitment and professionalism'

Established in 1984, the fire department serves a community of 175 properties and a population that grows to around 500 residents during the summer, according to the Central Okanagan Regional District.

The 25-person Wilson's Landing unit is part of a larger force of firefighting personnel, including those from various municipal fire departments across the province, working day and night to protect hundreds of properties, according to West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund.

On Tuesday, Brolund said the McDougall Creek wildfire had destroyed as many as 70 properties in West Kelowna and up to another 20 on Westbank First Nation lands.

DeGooyer says she's had limited communication with Baker since his deployment, but commends her husband and his colleagues for their dedication to saving others' property, even as they faced the loss of their own.

"I just think for such a small fire department to have such a horrendous night and such high loss…it really is a testament to their commitment and their professionalism.

"I am proud of all of them," she said.

Don Bennison, former chief of the Wilson's Landing Fire Department, was also evacuated from his home in the area.

"It's a tough one — we don't know whether we will have enough of those firefighters [being] able to get [their] properties rebuilt," he said.

However, DeGooyer remains hopeful that her and Baker's 20-year-old home can be reconstructed someday.

"I really don't think there's any point in dwelling on what we've lost. We've got lots of steps ahead. We'll rebuild, and things can be replaced.

"We've got insurance, and we'll be fine."