'Neighbour helps neighbour': volunteer firefighters battle to protect B.C. homes
"I thought we were going to lose our whole community ... I didn't think we'd slow it down."
Fire chief Stan McCarthy recalls the night that this season's wildfires roared into his hometown, the small community of 150 Mile House, south of Williams Lake in central British Columbia.
"The first night was really trying. We didn't know if we were able to stop this fire," he tells Laura Lynch on a special edition of The Current from Kamloops, B.C.
"The trees are candling. The fire blows really hard. It sounds like a freight train coming at you. And it's pretty scary."
Chief McCarthy and his crew of about 125 volunteer firefighters managed to outwit that first blast, only to settle in for the long-haul in protecting their community.
He and his team are working around the clock, in two 12-hour shifts. "We're doing 24/7 ... I'm losing track of days," says McCarthy.
The firefighters are battling fatigue along with the flames.
All you gotta do is keep putting one foot in front of the other and carry on because it's not going away. You've just got to trust your crew.- Chief McCarthy
And, McCarthy says, choking smoke is starting to get to his crew as well — some are losing their voices.
So far, just five residences and four shops have been lost to fire.
In addition to protecting the remaining homes from flames, McCarthy is keeping a close watch on the area's natural gas pipeline.
"We're all a little bit nervous about the weather. On Thursday, we're expecting high winds and lightning storms again. And we have potential for another firestorm if the winds come up again."
It's an emotional fire fight for Chief McCarthy.
He lost his own home to fire nearly four decades ago, before 150 Mile House had a volunteer fire department.
The experience led him to help found the fire department and work his way up the ranks to chief.
"(Here in) Cariboo country, it's neighbour helps neighbour," says McCarthy.
"I've got lots of volunteers, lots of our old members (have) come back to help. Our community's really pulled together."
With no end in sight, it's promising to be a long, hot and trying summer.
"All you gotta do is keep putting one foot in front of the other and carry on because it's not going away. You've just got to trust your crew."
Listen to the full conversation at the top of the post.
This segment was produced by The Current's Josh Bloch and Cathy Simon.