New-vehicle dealers in British Columbia are rushing to the aid of the communities ravaged by forest fires.
The New Car Dealers Association of B.C. (NCDA) recently sent an urgent plea to its members, asking them to donate to the Red Cross with the promise it would match all donations up to $20,000.
“We’re blowing past that,” said association President Blair Qualey.
The NCDA partnered with the B.C. Red Cross to open an online donation portal for dealers. As of Aug. 24 it had raised $40,120, before the association’s matching $20,000.
On top of that, the Harmony Auto Group of Kelowna, B.C., made a separate $100,000 donation. And the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) made its own $10,000 contribution.
“It’s all hands on deck in the dealer community to try and help people get through what is historically the worst wildfire season in the history of the province,” Qualey said. “The dealers are always committed to their communities, where they do business and where they live and where their employees live.”
The BC Wildfire Service website said Aug. 24 that there are 379 fires burning across the province, including 155 that are out of control and 14 “wildfires of note” that are highly visible or pose a threat to people or property.
Qualey said he’s not aware of any dealership being damaged this summer. But, he saw firsthand how the fires affect communities.
He arrived in Kelowna on the evening of Aug. 17. He was awoken to the voice of a firefighter speaking over a megaphone. It was telling him to evacuate the city immediately.
“I got to experience the fires and the smoke and all that was going on. It was unbelievable. It's very hard on everybody,” Qualey said.
West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said the same day that a total of 84 properties were partially or totally damaged in West Kelowna and the Westbank First Nation. Wednesday's tally did not include the handful of homes thought to have been damaged or destroyed in Kelowna.
There are now 25,000 people under evacuation order in B.C. and 37,000 people on evacuation alert.
