Rising from the ashes

Not much is left after a fire engulfed three structures west of Armstrong early Sunday morning.

At about 5 a.m. the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP assisted the Armstrong/Spallumcheen Fire Department with a structure fire located at a ranch in the 4500 block of Chamberlaine Road.

"Everyone just came together really fast, got the vehicles out of the way, got the tractor out," said Loesje Jacob, owner of the property. "There was nothing else we could do."

The picturesque land where the structures burned is also home base for Jacob's company, Linking Awareness Adventures, which includes many farm and domestic animals.  

Thankfully, no humans or animals were injured in the fire.

Jacob says she woke up to a raging blaze spanning several metres high.

"Fully engulfed flames and minutes later one of my favourite trees went up like a candle, so I think I'm more sad about the tree than anything else," she said.

Jacob says it wasn't the 4 a.m. wake up call she was hoping for.

"I heard one of my farmstay participants that was working with the animals screaming, 'fire fire,' and I did a good job of running out naked to see what was going on," she said. "Fortunately, I think Heather saved her own life and a lot of lives.

"We had some guys staying in the bunkhouse that were working with the animals and we had some people in the house that were working with the animals and everyone just came together really fast."

As of now, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Despite the loss of many keepsakes, farm tools many other priceless items, Jacob is keeping her positive attitude alive.

"I think that things are things and that the spirit is powerful and the important thing is, is that no one got hurt and the animals are safe," she said. "I believe that we rise from anything that's happened to us and I know we have the ability to rise above it and see the amazingness and the miracles in all of life’s experiences."

The volunteer fire department arrived quickly to battle the blaze.

"We have an amazing volunteer fire department in Armstrong and fortunately they had an amazing response time," Jacob said, adding that fire crews were on scene in less than 20 minutes.

Her home is located within feet of where the blaze consumed the structures, but Jacob says, thanks to fire crews, her house and other nearby structures were left untouched.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Jacob by her daughter and the fundraiser has already raised more than $11,500.