Haunting images show devastation in wake of fire that destroyed B.C. village

VANCOUVER -

A B.C. village made headlines late last month for recording the hottest-ever temperatures in the entire country three days in a row.

On the fourth day, the population-250 community burned to the ground.

On June 30, residents had just minutes to grab essential items and leave their homes, which they would never again see in tact.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, though the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating a possible train fire in the village.

Two people are known to have died. Several were injured.

In the days that followed, some residents were unaccounted for, as the evacuation order came so quickly that people scattered across B.C.'s Interior.

Not allowed to return home for safety reasons, those who'd lost everything may have seen photos and video on social media, or heard statements from the mayor that the majority of their village had been leveled by the fire.

It was not until July 9, nine days after the fire, that they were able to see the damage in person, on a bus tour through what remained of the village.

A media tour followed that bus. Images from The Canadian Press photojournalist Darryl Dyck show what those residents saw of what had been their home.

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Damaged structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a fire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)