Listen to this article
Dear 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated using text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.
Two years after it was reduced to ashes, shovels dug into the soil of the northern Shuswap at what will be the site of the new Scotch Creek Fire Hall.
In August 2023, when much of interior British Columbia was burning during a historically bad wildfire season, the Bush Creek East wildfire engulfed the Scotch Creek Fire Hall, along with 175 other buildings in the region.
Two years later, construction of a new fire hall officially began on November 19 at a groundbreaking ceremony.
Derek Sutherland, general manager of community and protective services for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, recalls how when the southern fire reached the Scotch Creek region, it spread quickly and created a “fire tornado” the weekend of August 19, 2023.
“We described it, at the time of the groundbreaking, as sort of a phoenix rising from the ashes,” Sutherland said.
Late at night, when all available firefighters in the region were working to protect their community, the fire hall, containing equipment, equipment and personal belongings, lit up.
One truck was saved and parked on the beach, but everything else was lost as fast-moving flames created an unsafe environment, forcing firefighters to retreat and seek shelter.
“We had to drive through the flames to get our crews out to safety,” said Sean Coubrough, regional fire chief for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District.
That same night, several local firefighters lost their homes and spent the following nights sleeping on cots at the neighboring Celista Volunteer Fire Department so they could continue working.
“It’s amazing to have lost everything and then come back to work the next day. It’s amazing,” Coubrough said.
Coubrough said the last few years have been difficult times for the Scotch Creek team, especially since they have been operating without rented warehouse space.
“They defended what could be defended. They saved what could be saved. But when you’re a firefighter, it’s very difficult to see places that you have to defend and lose them to fire.”
For the past two years, the Scotch Creek Fire Department has been operating out of a rented private storage facility.
Coubrough said this has impacted response time and training.
Sutherland said the new fire hall represents rebuilding, resilience and strength and will be constructed of steel and metal to be completely fire resistant.
It will feature five bays and a large community room space that will also serve as a training room for firefighters.
The new Scotch Creek/Lee Creek fire hall will be located at 1435 Beatty Rd. in Scotch Creek, which Sutherland said is a more convenient and accessible area compared to the previous location.
Construction is expected to be completed in August 2026.
