The only two structures still standing on Guy Neufeld’s property include a small metal shed, and a painted playhouse he built for his grandchildren.
The 67-year-old lost everything else, including hxjmtzywis favourite vintage truck, when a fast-moving wildfire ripped through Lytton, B.C last summer.
"This place was so beautiful," Neufeld said while walking through the ash that now covers what was once the pathway to his house. "It has been more than eightmonths since the fire, there is still no word on when we can start to rebuild and we are getting frustrated."
Neufeld cannot get a permit to start the building process because the debris from the wildfire that wiped out about 97 per cent of his community has yet to be removed.
"All this debris is still here. It should have been cleaned up a long time ago and the foundation for my new house should have been in already."
Two people were killed and nearly 200 properties were damaged or destroyed.
Months after that devastating day, special contractors have finally moved in to start the long-awaited cleanup process.
On Tuesday, backhoes were driven into the centre of the village. The heavy machinery will first be used to clear a handful of municipal buildings.
Lytton Mayor Jan Polderman says the removal of ash, soot, metals, bricks and other building material is an important “first step that needs to occur before the town can be rebuilt.”
To assist the village, the B.C government recently committed $18.4 million in new funding. The province’s Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the funding will cover debris removal and archeological work.
Lytton is located within the Nlaka’pamux Nations territory and is considered to be both historic and culturally significant.
Along with the preservation of any findings in the area, there will also be extensive soil remediation to remove contaminants and improve safety in and around the village.
"By supporting the debris removal, we are literally clearing the way for the rebuilding," said Farnworth. "We are doing everything possible to speed up the progress and support the community through the very challenging and ongoing task."
Denise O’Connor, 63, also lost her home in the fire. Since it burned, her family has had to move into her father’s house on the outskirts of town.
While she welcomes the new funding, and the new plan to tackle debris, she questions why it took so long to get to this point.
She also wants things to move much faster going foward. "I want to move forward, I want to get going and I want to see much more happening here," she said.
Most residents of Lytton are still living in temporary housing. For some that means staying with friends and family, but for others it means bouncing between different hotels scattered across the province
"It is very stressful, and it is in the back of your head, the question every new month, is always where am I going to go now?" said Eric Siwik, who is a long-time Lytton resident and musician.
Siwik has been living in hotels ever since the fire ripped through his community. He lost everything he owned, including more than a dozen of his beloved guitars.
"The fire was so intense and so dangerous," he said. "I barely had time to get out of my house before it burned to the ground."
The 75-year-old did have insurance, which is helping to pay for his constant hotel bills. He is also still getting some support from Canadian Red Cross.
"I want to rebuild and hopefully I will have house before 17 months but nobody knows when you can actually start something."
Siwik said more communication is needed, particularly from those overseeing the village’s cleanup.
Guy Neufeld also wants more information. He believes a lack of communication and unnecessary red tape have slowed recovery efforts.
"We just feel that information is sporadic, there’s no communication, no assurances from government and we just feel forgotten," he said.
To accelerate the work, the province is also funding temporary accommodations for as many as 30 staff, consultants and construction workers.
With that Farnworth says "the site will be ready for the next phase of rebuilding, such as permitting, this fall."
But even with that, it’s unlikely most Lytton residents will be able to return to a completed home before 2023.
