Lytton wildfire survivors haunted by memories as they struggle to get back on their feet

KAMLOOPS — It has been almost three months since the village of Lytton burned to the ground. Survivors are still haunted by the memories of horror as they struggle to get back on their feet.

“The screaming that I heard when I went out the front door wasn’t just our friends screaming; it was also people trying to escape,” recalled Melanie Delva.

She and her wife, Erin Aleck, have lived in three different places since their home became ashes.

They have been staying at hotels and campsites since the fire, but come October 1, the two will be homeless.

“It’s not just the physical stress of trying to survive in a camp site and the emotional stress of trying to access help, it’s also trying to live with what happened that day,” Delva continued.

The couple has made repeated attempts to re-enter Lytton to collect any of their possessions in the rubble of what’s left of their home — but renters are being denied access and told that the area is still toxic, too dangerous, and full of hazardous materials.

Melanie and Erin say they have tried calling the mayor and village councillors for help, for guidance — for anything.

“The numbers that I have have been disconnected. I haven’t heard anything from them,” said Aleck.

The only access they have been given is one bus ride tour of the village but no opportunity to sift through the ashes of their former home.

“The bus drove by, we could just look at the house as we drove by, tried to snap some photos, but that’s the only thing we’ve ever seen,” Delva explained.

CFJC News attempted to contact the elected officials of Lytton but phone lines are disconnected and other forms of contact are not clear.

Melanie and Erin say they are frustrated. As they try to heal from the devastation and post-traumatic stress, they are uncertain about their future and have been given no closure for the place they once called home.

“Sleep is hard, we’ve both lost a lot of weight. The smell of smoke is terrifying,” Delva said.

They have received items like food vouchers but have no place to cook or store food. Their resources and finances are exhausted and they say they feel forgotten.

“Even if there were things that were there two-and-a-half months ago that were valuable to us, we don’t know if they’ll still be there and we have not had an opportunity to sift,” Delva said.