'There's nowhere for me to go': Lytton evacuees still displaced almost 1 year after wildfire
Seniors David and Doreen Crozier never thought their lives could change so dramatically in a single day.
“I didn’t actually think I would be homeless at 76 years of age,” said Doreen.
The Croziers are among more than 200 Lytton, B.C., residents still scattered around the province almost a year after a wildfire swept the village.
The Croziers have been living at Camp Hope.
It’s a place normally used for church retreats and summer camp, but took in evacuees after the devastating fire.
Doreen was still inside her home when it caught fire on June 30, 2021. She said the only thing she got out was her cat.
The couple’s truck also caught fire and her husband, David Crozier, suddenly found himself in a burning vehicle.
“I could see nothing and I was panicking and I did lucky enough get the handle on the door, got the door open and the truck exploded,” he recalled.
He was lucky to suffer burns only to his arms.
The couple then made a harrowing escape from Lytton as the flames consumed the community.
“There was no time – there was minutes,” David said.
“It was total inferno on Highway 1, both sides by then."
Twelve months later, the fire is still tough to talk about for the couple.
David still has nightmares.
Structures that were destroyed by wildfire are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. The fire-ravaged community of Lytton, B.C., will get $21 million from the provincial government to help it rebuild essential infrastructure and services. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
“Everything comes through your head about the fire. Where you going to live? Will your house be rebuilt?"
The pain of that day and the danger still haunt other Lytton evacuees as well, including Alphonse Adams.
“I think about it, what could happen if that fire came through and everybody was sleeping. That’s what I keep having nightmares about,” he said, wiping away tears.
Many Lytton evacuees are having a difficult time shaking the past, and remain uncertain about the future.
“I need a place to stay there and there’s nowhere for me to go,” said Adams, who is also living at Camp Hope.
At one point, the camp housed more than 65 displaced Lytton residents. Now there are just six.
Long-time Lytton resident Mona Croston, 85, has been living in a Merritt motel for months. It’s the eight place she’s stayed since the fire burned her home.
She had insurance and plans to build a new home.
However, many residents were uninsured, including the Croziers.
They don’t know if they will ever be able to own their own home again.
For now, they’re grateful they can stay at the camp.
“They have told us we can stay here as long as necessary so we just have to play it by ear,” she said.
But the Crozier’s miss the friends and community they called home for more than a decade
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.