The Little Shuswap Lake Band says at least 31 homes have been destroyed by the Bush Creek East wildfire.

An emotional Skwla̓x te Secwe̓pemcu̓lecw Kukpi7 James Tomma, who also lost his house, says the damage has been devastating for the community, and estimates the costs to repair the damages will be “extreme.”

“It was heartbreaking for me… People were waiting, looking at me and hoping… Then have to tell them. ‘Your home’s gone,’ and go down the list… Our band now understands what we lost,” Tomma said Friday.

“My people now, they are just coming to grips with the devastating loss we suffered; we’re drifting down and seeing all that. It was heartbreaking.”

Tomma says the  Skwla̓x te Secwe̓pemcu̓lecw band office, the fire hall, some community living buildings, and the wellness centre all survived the fire.

Other infrastructure – like the Squilax Gas station – was destroyed.

“Devastating news but we’re here, and it’s the little things right now,” Tomma said, noting band members are trying to focus on the silver linings.

“I informed the elders and the band members that the cemetery made it through. That was big for them. Smiling. and saying ‘oh, oh, oh, oh thank you.'”

“My band they’re resilient. We know that my people have gone through a lot and we’re still here, and we’ll be still here,” Tomma added.

“We’re still here, and that’s the beautiful part. All my band members are still here.”

Tomma estimates it’ll cost between $30 and $50 million to rebuild infrastructure, noting that figure will depend on several things.

“Depending on the shape where infrastructure, how it made it through the underground pipes, wires, everything like that,” said Tomma. “It’s a ballpark range.”

“We know it’s in the high double digits, but we will never really find out until the last band member shuts the door and then we will know, but we anticipated the cost is going to be extreme.”

He is hoping to have everything rebuilt before the snow flies this winter.

“As Kukpi7, my duty to the band members is to make sure that they all get into their homes. When the last band member can close the door and look and say ‘I’m home now… Then as Kukpi7, my home can be built,” said Tomma.

“We’re going to swing for the fences and hope what we get done is going to be enough for our band members, at the very least get through the near future.”

The Lower East Adams Lake fire – which has since merged with the Bush Creek East Fire – went on a 20 kilometre run last Friday, fueled by 40 km/hr sustained winds  from the north brought on by a cold front.

The Columbia-Shuswap Regional District says at least 131 homes and other structures within its jurisdiction were destroyed by the Bush Creek East fire, while another 37 were partially damaged.

A evacuation order is in place for the band’s Quaaout 1, Chum Creek 2, Meadow Creek 3, and Scotch Creek 4 reserves. Its North Bay 5 reserve, near Tappen, remains on alert at this time.

Another 11 properties in the southern Adams Lake area of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District had some kind of structural impacts.

Evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect for all three communities as well as the Adams Lake Indian Band, Neskonlith Indian Band, and the Village of Chase.

– With files from Victor Kaisar