Family returns to Birch Island after Bobs Lake wildfire destroys cottages

A wildfire on Bobs Lake, started by someone not following a burn ban, destroyed four cottages. CTV’s Katelyn Wilson got a look at the damage.

It’s a boat trip Kevin Hoadley has made many times before, but on Monday as he pulled into Birch Island on Bobs Lake, the view on shore was almost unrecognizable.

“As soon as we came across the front part where we usually see our cottage, that’s when it kind of hits,” said Hoadley.

Hoadley and his wife, Janet Hoadley-Redgwell, have owned property on the island for more than 30 years. But what once was a cluster of family cottages is now a pile of twisted metal and ash, destroyed by fire.

In Pictures

“Anything I knew about building [my dad] taught me and he and I built this place,” he said. “[That day] we did the typical winter close-up. We left around 11 or 11:30 a.m. and we looked at the cottage as we always do and waved goodbye and three hours later it was gone.”

Around 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, emergency crews were called to the island after a wildfire broke out, consuming about seven acres and causing roughly $2 million in damage.

In total, four cottages were destroyed: two belonging to Hoadley and his wife, one to their daughters, and another on the island. Fire crews managed to save eight others.

South Frontenac Fire Chief Delbert Blakney says the blaze started in a barrel, by someone ignoring the burn ban.

“I think this fire really helps highlight the significance of people being respectful of burning bans. I think there’s a misconception that if you’re burning in a barrel, that it’s contained and it’s safe, but especially with windy conditions, the wind swirls and it blows the ashes up,” said Blakeny.

“Also, the ground underneath can be heated, and we’re seeing fires burn 60 centimetres deep right now and islands are particularly hollow, so fire can easily travel underground as well.”

Blakney says the fire was under control by 6 p.m. that night, with firefighters remaining on the island overnight to monitor hot spots. He thanked the cottagers who provided food and housing to the firefighters who stayed behind.

“They did an amazing job considering the conditions with the very strong winds and just the dryness,” said Hoadley-Redgwell.

“You see little puddles and streams of metal, you see those little spots around the property, and it just makes you appreciate how hot it was. The fire coming across the leaves, on the ground and then coming across the top of the trees, it was almost like it was swallowing the island or swallowing what was inside of it.”

And as the family sifts through what’s left, it’s hard to tell what was where; the rooms, the furniture, the memories all buried in ash. But even in the wreckage they’ve managed to find small sparks of light, including a keepsake from their wedding.

“You always kind of believe it cannot be true and of course walking along the site of really just ruins, you know it happened,” said Hoadley-Redgwell.

“We actually found a wedding gift that we got from our wedding. We’ve been married 43 years. So, we’ll be able to take that on to the next place.”

As the family looks to rebuild, they say they support from the community has been overwhelming.

“It’s amazing, the outreach from all the neighbours all over the mainland, on the island, everywhere said if you need a place to stay, you have a place to stay,” said Hoadley. “Across the lake, someone who I had never met called me and said, ‘You have a cottage, keys are here, go and stay there.’ That’s Bobs Lake.”

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