'We just want to go home': Evacuee overwhelmed as wildfire spreads in B.C.'s south Okanagan
Marty Marchand is one of the hundreds of Olalla, B.C. residents who were ordered to leave their homes this week because of the aggressive, out-of-control Keremeos Creek wildfire.
She packed up and left her home on Friday and said the process has been stressful and overwhelming.
"It was tough because I was OK when I left, but then afterward I sat there and I didn't even know where I was going," she said.
"It was an ugly feeling. You kind of feel like you're homeless. You don't have a place to go to," she continued.
She's staying at a motel in Princeton, B.C. – which is roughly 75 kilometres from her home -- until Wednesday. She doesn't know where she'll go after that.
"We just want to go home," she told CTV News.
Despite her emotional state, she said she would rather be safe and away from the dangers of the fire.
Evacuation orders are in place for more than 500 properties, with alerts in place for upwards of 1,000 more.
Bryan Zandberg, information officer for the BC Wildfire Service, said the blaze remained at an estimated 5,903 hectares Sunday morning.
"We are mindful of people's inconvenience and hardship out of their homes. We are trying to get folks back in," he said.
"We're trying to contain the fire. We have 381 firefighting personnel on the fire today," he added. Those crews are being supported by 16 helicopters and 43 units of heavy equipment.
But winds picked up later in the afternoon on Sunday and smoke plumes could be seen just outside the homes of nearby residents in nearby Keremeos where residents have been on edge since an evacuation alert was issued.
"We've been watching it get steadily getting closer over time. I honestly didn't think it would get this far," said Michelle Firrisi.
"We're just getting a little concerned now," she continued.
BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon is questioning whether the wildfire service is doing enough to respond, saying they should be using night vision tools.
"It's being utilized in neighbouring Alberta very successfully. In fact, they're bragging about it and tweeting the stories," he said
"We ought to be using it in British Columbia. Come on, BC Wildfire Service, let's put every possible technology, group and equipment to work," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.