In the rubble of Lytton, trauma and uncertainty linger for residents 2 years after catastrophic fire

Two years after a wildfire destroyed the village of Lytton, debris from burned-out buildings has been removed, and contaminated soil shovelled and trucked out, leaving behind gaping pits where the foundations of homes and businesses once stood.

Before the dig began in earnest, residents were able to sift through the debris and salvage whatever items may have survived — a ceramic mug, a garden gnome, an Adirondack chair whose green paint melted in the face of extreme temperatures.

The village's state of emergency and evacuation orders were recently lifted. But two years after the catastrophe, not a single building permit has been issued for the village, as the community has worked through bureaucratic loopholes and faced down existential questions about its future.

Residents say with the village still razed to the ground and the cause of the fire as yet unknown, it's been nearly impossible to make decisions about the future, let alone move on.

As Canadian wildfire seasons intensify and communities in other provinces face their own threats, Lytton has been held up as a resilient community — one that lived through the ultimate climate catastrophe but will be rebuilt to withstand the threat of future fires.

For those who fled on June 30, 2021, it feels a bit more complicated than that.

Denise MacIntyre never used to understand hoarders. But these days, she keeps most of her belongings in her truck.

After losing the home where she raised four children in Lytton, she moved in with her mother-in-law. When her children gifted her a framed photograph, a copy of one that burned in the fire, she briefly hung it in her new room. 

"I had it up. And then I realized, what happens if we have to evacuate? So that picture is not hanging anymore. I've got it in a duffel bag so it can go with me because I don't want to lose another damn picture," she said.

WATCH | Lytton resident with wood stove talks about her anxiety when it smokes:

MacIntyre was a volunteer member of the Lytton fire department for years. On the day of the fire, as winds akin to a blowtorch spread fire through town, she mustered to fight the flames. She was left with burns on her face and inhaled so much smoke she couldn't cry for help.

Once she managed to flee to safety, she turned away, unable to watch the village burn from afar. But standing by a neighbour who watched their home burn as the family dog remained trapped inside left her with symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

After years of firefighting, she found herself dry heaving and nauseous when her fire pager beeped. When her wood stove lets off the smell of smoke, she experiences panic attacks. The sound of a train rolling by is enough to trigger her anxiety.

"It's been two years, and I'm just starting to deal with it. I'm like an ostrich, sticking my head in the sand and hoping it'll all go away," she said, saying the prospect of rebuilding feels overwhelming even now.