Reflections on a Fire
- Douglas Miller
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Lessons learned and shared

Thanksgiving Monday is now deeply etched in my memory.
I awoke to shouts coming from somewhere nearby. The flickering orange light on my bedroom ceiling had me jump out of bed and peering out the window in disbelief. Our neighbour’s house was ablaze.
A quick call to 911. Shouts to awaken Norma. The immediate assumption was the fire would be quickly spreading to the trees separating our home from the one on fire. Ours would be next to be lighting up the early morning sky.
Then began the scramble to prepare for evacuation; get the parrot’s emergency cage, quickly gather medications, important documents, laptops, computer backup hard drives, and a very few meaningful, irreplaceable items. Our neighbour, Jay Gildenhuys, phoned to make sure we were preparing to leave our house.
Before putting everything and our beloved pets into the cars, we went out on the deck, very likely for the final time, for a last look at the inferno literally raging next door. Thousands of glowing embers were rising into the dark sky, borne by the super-hot air rising from the fire.
Surprisingly, I experienced a sense of calm. Fire trucks were on scene. Hoses were already sending streams of water on the blaze and the surrounding trees. Firefighters were patrolling the fire perimeter to ensure that it did not spread. The beams from their flashlights moved through the darkness of our property and those of our neighbours. Commands, instructions and progress reports could be heard coming from their radios.
It was all very reassuring. The attack on the fire was taking place in an orderly, methodical, professional and effective manner. I turned to Norma and stated “We have dodged a VERY BIG bullet this morning.”
However, the fire is a tragedy for Morey with the loss of his home and his two cats. Thankfully, he and his dog Rosie are safe. They are temporarily housed in Squamish while Morey puts his life back together. The physical loss is insured. It will be a long process for him rebuild but we will have him as a neighbour for years to come.
*
Having been involved with our fire department many years ago, I realize the response to the fire was not an accident. All those repetitive Wednesday night training sessions paid big dividends early Monday morning.
The firefighters give up a great deal to provide us with a high level of protection. The community has had the foresight to ensure these men and women have the tools and facilities needed for them to carry out their mission efficiently and safely.
On reflection, it is obvious the loss could have been immensely greater had the fire had spread to the trees, taking many more homes with it as it spread up the hill and through the neighbourhood. Fortunately, it did not. That it didn’t was not an accident. The planning, training and resources saved the village from another catastrophe.
Please ensure that you, your family and your neighbours have plans in place should you face a similar situation in the future.
Douglas Miller is a former Mayor of Lions Bay, and also a former Deputy Fire Chief.
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Very eloquently put Douglas
I saw Casey Snowden’s dramatic video a few minutes after he posted it last Monday morning and immediately thought the fire was bound to spread quickly through the Village like the one that destroyed Jasper such a short time ago.
Mattie’s response was amazing as she drove down past the fire to the firehall, returning with the truck and crew such a short time later. It is very reassuring to know we have such a competent , dedicated fire department in the village.
It really came home to me when I attended the fire awareness event at the hall on Saturday and talked to several of the firemen who were there. Some of them were als…
Great perspective from Doug Miller, well presented by the Watershed.
Tears come to my eyes as I read your words Douglas. The thought of how you and Norma felt in that terrible moment and thinking what could have happened had the fire spread through our neighbourhood make me very thankful for the women and men of our LBFR. Continued support for the resources they need should be first and foremost in the minds of all of us in the Village.