It91裸聊视频檚 been a whirlwind weekend for Dallas Chelick, his wife Carmen and their three-month-old daughter, Beckett.
The Chelicks were at their home in the Bear Creek area on Thursday, Aug. 17, when an alert was issued for the area due to the encroaching McDougall Creek wildfire.
91裸聊视频淲e were just following along with the alert when all of a sudden we saw specific addresses that were put on an evacuation order and one of them was our place,91裸聊视频� said Dallas to 91裸聊视频. 91裸聊视频淲e started packing up and really had about an hour before the police were at the end of our driveway making sure that everyone was getting out.91裸聊视频�
With no real plan in place of where to go, the family briefly moved to Dallas91裸聊视频� parent91裸聊视频檚 cottage in the La Casa area. But, early Friday morning, that area was put on an evacuation order.
91裸聊视频淲e woke up to the sound of sirens, as the whole La Casa area was getting evacuated,91裸聊视频� Dallas said. 91裸聊视频淪o we packed up and headed to Kamloops to get away from it all.91裸聊视频�
In Kamloops, Dallas had previously signed up to compete with some buddies in the 2023 Sunshine Open, an amateur golf tournament at the Kamloops Golf and Country Club.
91裸聊视频淎s soon as the fires happened, my buddies asked me if I was playing and I told them for sure no,91裸聊视频� explained Dallas. 91裸聊视频淏ut, when we ended up in Kamloops, my wife told me I should play, to get my mind off things because we were both obviously a wreck. At first, I felt selfish, that I don91裸聊视频檛 need to play this but my wife said what else are we going to do while we are here?91裸聊视频�
Dallas, who had never played the course, and had no real goals of placing in the tournament, promptly came out firing, to shoot a one under-71 on Saturday and par 72 on Sunday, to win it all.
91裸聊视频淚 was hitting the ball really well, the course really fit my eye,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t was pretty surreal, we had a really good gallery following us for the last six or seven holes and when I got to 18, there were a lot of whispers. It came right down to the final hole and I finished one under to win, while my two partners on the day both finished even, so it was incredibly close.
It was a fantastic way to get my mind off of what was happening,91裸聊视频� he said as Carmen, baby Beckett and their two cats were back in their AirBnB when he won.
When asked if his home back in West Kelowna was still standing, Dallas said it was 91裸聊视频渉ighly unlikely.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淥ur house was at the centre of the fire maps for the entirety of the fires,91裸聊视频� he explained. 91裸聊视频淚 think, if I am being realistic, the best case is that the house is still standing and we91裸聊视频檒l be able to salvage a lot of our belongings.
There91裸聊视频檚 been no official update yet, roads are still closed but given where we live, which is a little acreage at the very back end of Bear Creek, I don91裸聊视频檛 think there91裸聊视频檚 been a ton of discussions around that area.91裸聊视频�
Through it all, Dallas, who runs a business in Kelowna, is seeing the positives.
91裸聊视频淯ltimately, my family is so much more fortunate than a lot of other people just in regards to the number of people who reached out offering us accommodations and support. For us, it really isn91裸聊视频檛 a tragedy even if we lose our house. We91裸聊视频檙e all safe and our heart really goes out to the people that are in a tougher situation.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 just hope that as many people can get the support they need as possible.91裸聊视频�
READ MORE: Nearly 60 structures confirmed lost or damaged in Central Okanagan wildfires
READ MORE: No growth in Kelowna wildfire, but air quality hazardous
bowen.assman@vernonmorningstar.com
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