Communities on the Conception Bay North Shore are trying to rebuild after losing everything in last year’s wildfires.
Insurance company belairdirect took media on a tour through communities in CBN, highlighting some of the work being done with those impacted by last year’s fire.
The destruction left by the blaze is still stark. Once vibrant forests have been reduced to charred branches, and concrete foundations sit where homes once stood. In one instance a child’s swing set was the only thing left on a plot of land.
Jo Hogan lost her home in the CBN wildfires (VOCM).
Resident Jo Hogan and her husband lost their home and everything in it to the fire. Now, nearly one year later a new home is being built on the property.
While the construction is surrounded by blackened land, there is green grass growing and even some leaves on the trees that were only partially burnt.
Patches of grass poking out of the burnt ground, one year after the CBN wildfires (VOCM).
Hogan is emotional when talking about the fire, particularly when speaking about how it forced her daughter and grandkids to move away. But, she expresses optimism for the rebuild, not just of her home, but of her community.
She says she and her husband cannot wait to sleep in their own home and in their own bed once again.
