LL-L "Member news" 2003.09.01 (08) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 01.SEP.2003 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Member news

Dear Lowlanders,

Many of you may be aware of the various wildfire disasters that have been
striking the western portions of North America, including British Columbia,
that the city Kelowna in this Canadian province has been hard hit and is
still under threat, and that Kelowna is home to our widely respected and
beloved member Reuben Epp who has been contributing much to our discussions,
especially about his native Mennonite Lowlands Saxon ("Plautdietsch" Low
German) almost since the birth of Lowlands-L in April 1985.

I have been very concerned about Reuben and his wife Irmgard whom I had the
privilege of meeting in person last June in Kelowna -- delightful people in
a pleasant city with breathtakingly beautiful surroundings.  Reuben kindly
responded to my email inquiry and has been informing me ever since.   To my
relief I can report that Reuben, Irmgard and their relatives have been
spared so far, albeit by a hair's breadth.  Unforetunately, however, the
threat is not over yet, and we remain concerned about our friends' physical
and mental wellbeing, apart from concern about the threat to their lovely
home and all the other material and sentimental things they hold dear.

I trust that Reuben can be assured of the best wishes and prayers of his
fellow Lowlanders.  If you wish to email him, you might want to hold out for
a few days to allow him some breathing space in this stressful time.
Alternatively, you could express your messages to him here on Lowlands-L if
it is not too personal.  You could do so anytime, would not need to wait in
that case.  Reuben would read them sooner or later, time and stress level
permitting.

Reuben gave me permission to pass his report on to you.  Please find it
below.

Leewe Irmgard en leewe Reuben, mag een beschutzende Haunt äwa Ju, Junt en
Jun Nobasch ligje en Jun Sorje en Seeledruck von Ju näme!  Wie, Jun
läajchlandsche Frind, denkje aun Ju en bäde fe Ju.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

***

Dear Friends,

It was Wednesday (20th August) when news of the spread of the forest fire
indicated a threat to the southern outskirts of Kelowna and we were informed
that our area was under evacuation alert. This meant that we should be
prepared to leave our houses on relatively short notice, taking with us
those things that were very important or of special value.

Later that day our son Reynold phoned us and informed us that from his house
he could see the fire advancing in our direction, driven by a south wind. He
advised us to list all those things that we would take with us in case of
evacuation, including heirlooms, important documents and valuables, but not
including articles that could be replaced. We are fairly well insured, of
course. But, insurance does not replace family heirlooms.

We watched the news on Thursday and began getting our thoughts together on
what to rescue if necessary. That evening at about 8pm, I looked out of our
front entrance and could see the red glow of the fire reflected off the
smoke to the south of us. One of our neighbours came over and told us that
the fire had almost reached the gravel pit on the next street south of us.
Although we were still only on alert--not on evacuation orders--Irmgard and
I decided it was time to act. Some of our neighbours did not yet feel the
urgency so we were among the first to leave.

I telephoned our sons, Cory and Reynold, and asked them to come and help us
load up to move. They came immediately and we loaded our car and
house-trailer with our most precious belongings. At about 10pm we were
loaded, tired and ready to travel across town to the large home of our son
Reynold. By then, other evacuees from south of us were creating such heavy
traffic on city roads that we were forced to detour to get across town to
our son's place on the north side. We arrived there before midnight and from
that point of elevated vantage we could see the fire approaching our area
and concluded that we had acted rightly and timely. Our neighbours who
stayed behind on our street remained safe that night, but received orders to
move out in the morning. As it eventually turned out, the fire did not quite
reach our neighborhood, but was stopped or diverted by the gravel pit on the
street above and south of us. We kept watch over our neighborhood from
Reynold's house with his telescope with which we could see our area but not
our house.

That same day (Thursday) the Harry Loewens, in another southern area also on
evacuation alert, were approached by a fire official who asked them to
vacate their house in 20 minutes or less. This meant that they had little
time to save more than the clothes they were wearing. They drove away in
their car. Their house did not burn as soon as predicted but remained
standing another day. However, on Friday evening, 22nd August, the Loewen
house and numerous others went up in flames and was quickly and totally
destroyed, including Harry's extensive historical and Mennonite library of
3,000 or more books. We visited that site on Friday, 29th of August and were
astonished and dismayed to see that the entire fairly new subdivision of 16
homes had been totally wiped out, except for one single remaining house.
Loewens built their dream home there three years ago. Harry was Chairman of
Mennonite Studies at the University of Winnipeg until he and Gertrude
retired to Kelowna some years ago.

During our evacuation we lived quite comortably in our son's and
daughter-in-law's house, daily watching the fire via his telescope and
encouraged by change in wind direction. By Wednesday, 27th August, we
learned that people were being allowed back into homes in our area, but on
continued evacuation alert. This was not in the news yet, but word was
getting around by word of mouth.

So we brought our car, truck with trailer back home and moved into our own
house again. All is relatively normal, but we are still on official
evacuation alert. However, the threat of another evacuation is diminishing
as the fire moves away from Kelowna in the forest and up the mountain to the
southeast of us. In the mornings now, it is quite smokey due to calmness of
the air at night, but in the daytime the smoke drifts away under light
breeze from the west.

All in all, about 245 homes in southern subdivisions of Kelowna were
destroyed by the fire this past week, but no lives were lost nor any serious
injuries incurred.

Although Irmgard and I have set up our computers again, most of our other
stuff to be rescued rests beside the car or in the house trailer.We could
leave rather quickly if it again becomes necessary.

We had teenage relatives from Germany visiting us for a week or more before
the morning of the day we evacuated. But, that morning we had sent them by
bus to visit our daughter Keri and her children in Coquitlam for a few days.
Fortunately, Keri quickly recognized the hosting problem that our evacuation
was causing. So, she invited the young guests to stay in her house until all
was again clear. Apparently, they are having a marvelous time
together--better than if they had returned to us as planned. The guests will
probably be coming back to us by bus on Monday, 1st of September. Returning
to Germany later that week.

For the time being, we are still on evacuation alert. Nervously watching
news on the fire and biding our time and praying for rain--lots of it! We
sleep in our own bed, which we appreciate. Our authoress friend Clara
Kramer-Freudenthal in Norderstedt, Germany, writes: "Gott Vater hat seine
schützenden Hände über Euch gehalten." We agree!

Cheers!

Reuben and Irmgard

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