Responding to Canadian Wildfires

Serving Nova Scotia Wildfire Evacuees in Their Time of Need

Strength After the Fire

Samaritan's Purse volunteers help residents of Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, find hope in the ashes of the Wolf wildfire.

The wildfire came faster than anyone expected. Whipped by a fierce wind, the Wolf Fire, as it came to be known, hit Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, with a speed and intensity that left many in shock.

"We were getting our boat loaded to get on the lake when I looked on Snapchat and saw the mandatory evacuation,” said Brooke, a mother of three.

Like many residents, Brooke's roots go deep in the community. She was born and raised in the northern Saskatchewan village, as was her mom. Then, just last year, Brooke and her husband, Kyle, bought a house next door to the one where she grew up. “It’s home," she said.

Rush to Escape

When the evacuation order came, Brooke and her family had just two hours to leave. “We didn't have time to pack like we were going to lose our house,” she said. While her husband and father stayed to help fight the fire, Brooke and her mom drove the kids many hours away to safety. Brooke did it all while 35 weeks pregnant.

The next days were filled with stressful waiting and sleepless nights as news trickled in that Denare Beach—their home—was burning.

The Wolf Fire destroyed over 200 homes in the village of just 700 people. Brooke's house and her parents' home were lost in the blaze. “It's been heartbreaking, stressful, like all the emotions you can imagine,” she said. “When you have kids, you just have to keep going."

A Call for Help

One way Brooke and her family have taken a first step is through the help of a Samaritan's Purse Canada disaster relief team.

"I heard you guys were here and that you found my cousin's rings [in the ashes]," Brooke shared.

"It's hard to picture everything ending up in a dump, even just the ash. The ash is my wedding dress; it's everything that you had."

Our team arrived in the aftermath of the fire with a Disaster Relief Unit tractor-trailer and all the tools needed to help residents sift through the remains of their properties. Each day, volunteers, wrapped in protective gear, wade into the toxic ashes to search for items that may have survived the flames.

'Things that Were Irreplaceable to Us'

Brooke was looking for anything the team could find, especially cooking items that belonged to her grandma.

“It was better than I could have hoped for,” Brooke said. “They found my grandma's Dutch oven that she baked bread in and her cast iron frying pans, and some things from Kyle's family—some Christmas ornaments—things that were irreplaceable to us.”

The team also found cups belonging to Brooke's 4-year-old son. “Thanks! I've been looking for these,” he excitedly told the volunteers.

For Brooke, recovering each precious possession is all about closure. “It's hard to picture everything ending up in a dump, even just the ash. The ash is my wedding dress; it's everything that you had. Now I feel like I have closure, and we can get our yard demolished. What I could have found was found, and now it's time to move on."

‘More at Home Again’

Our team had one more gift. Before finishing at the property, each member signed a Bible, which they presented to Brooke and her family. The volunteers also had an opportunity to pray for them in Jesus' Name.

"Thank you so much for what you are doing,” Brooke shared. “It helps because people don't even know that there were things they could have found, things that can make them feel more at home again."

Denare Beach is a strong, hard-working community that faces a devastating tragedy. The road to recovery is often long and difficult. Will you ask God for His strength and peace to be with families like Brooke's?

Loving Our Neighbors

Please also pray for the dedicated Samaritan's Purse volunteers who selflessly come from across Canada to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

One of those volunteers was Dawson, a forest firefighter who helped fight the Wolf Fire. Based just down the road from the Samaritan's Purse camp, he saw our vehicles while flying in and out on helicopters each day and decided he wanted to help.

On his two days off, he came and joined our team. “I wanted to help the community, and it's been really good,” he said. “One homeowner said we found his wife's smile again, which made it all worth it."

To date, over 86 families in Denare Beach have asked Samaritan's Purse for help. Our team will remain in the community until the calls to search for valued possessions are complete.

Hope After the Fire

Precious Possessions Rescued in Denare Beach

Clothed in protective suits, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers waded into the ashes of Cory and Meredith Norman’s home. The Wolf Fire that tore through Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, on June 2, destroyed nearly everything the couple owned, including the home they had shared for years. This was the house where Cory grew up and the one his father and grandfather built. “It was very emotional coming back to see it,” said Meredith, who is also the chief administrative officer for Denare Beach.

Still, the Normans hoped something might have survived the flames, so they called Samaritan’s Purse. Equipped from one of our Disaster Relief Unit tractor-trailers, our volunteers sifted the ashes of their home, searching for precious possessions.

IN THE LAST SHOVELFUL

The couple asked the team to look for two of their wedding rings, an anniversary ring, and one necklace that belonged to Meredith’s grandmother. “We heard of your success finding things for other people,” Cory said, standing near the hole that used to be his basement. “I was going to go down in there and try, but I knew I would end up getting frustrated and just probably not successful. That’s why we got you.”

But hours of searching brought up little. Still, the volunteers dug, sifted, and prayed until the team lead called an end to the day. “It’s time to finish,” she told them.

Unwilling to give up, one team member dumped a final scoop of debris onto the sifter, and another immediately cried out, “Thank you, God!” All four pieces of the Norman’s treasured jewelry were in the last shovelful. We praise God!

“Everything important that we were looking for, they found it!” Cory said with a big smile. “We lost everything, but we still got that, and we’ll make it through this together.”

As the team celebrated with Cory and Meredith through hugs and tears, they also had an opportunity to present them with a signed Bible and pray with them in Jesus’ Name. “Thank you,” Meredith responded. “We are very, very grateful.”

AN ANGEL AMONG ASHES

Chandy, another homeowner, was overwhelmed when a Samaritan’s Purse team showed her a small angel pulled from the ashes of her home.

“To Nanny. Love, Chandy,” read a small inscription still visible on the bottom. Chandy’s eyes filled with tears when she held the figurine she had given to her late grandmother decades ago.

“My Nanny was my favorite person in the whole world,” Chandy told us. “I remember giving it to her for Christmas a long time ago. … It’s a Godsend.”

Sharing the hope of the Gospel

Another homeowner whispered to one of our team members after a Bible presentation, “Your companionship with me today meant the world to me.”

We thank God for partners like you who stand with Canadian families in crisis—sharing the hope of the Gospel in word and deed. As God’s Word says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

You made it possible to help 77 families in Denare Beach this summer. Samaritan’s Purse long-term recovery specialists have visited the community to explore how we might help further. Please keep praying for these families. Our teams also continue to monitor other wildfires, ready to respond across Canada in Jesus’ Name.

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