‘It’s just devastating’: Wildfire evacuees using security cameras to watch homes as flames tear through

Doorbell cameras are giving wildfire evacuees a front row seat to the real time destruction in their community. Danton Unger reports.

Doorbell and security cameras are giving wildfire evacuees a chilling front-row seat to real-time chaos being caused by wildfires.

For some, the videos provide a glimmer of hope their homes are still standing, while for others it confirms their worst fears.

Cyndi Pedwell said she watched her doorbell camera Monday as flames ripped through her home in Denare Beach, Sask.

“We actually watched it happen until the internet was eaten up,” she said. “It’s just devastating. It just happened so fast and I think everything was just incinerated in no time.”

Jennifer Hysert dealt with a similar situation. Her neighbour in Denare Beach sent her a video of her home reduced to ash.

“I’ve been calling this fire the demon. And when this demon came through, it had so much power, it was unstoppable,” said Hysert.

“I think the most sickening feeling is not knowing. So whenever I had a lot of friends on the ground, and whenever I got any information, I was trying to share it.”

She isn’t alone. For the hundreds of residents evacuated from the Flin Flon area, these cameras are providing them some of the most up-to-date information.

“Peace of mind is probably the thing we seek most and the thing we have least and we have no way of determining whether our property is there or not there,” said Valerie Gundersen.

She has been using social media to share footage from the cameras at her home in Creighton, Sask., letting her neighbours know that for now, their block still stands.

“It’s one thing that I know I could trust,” she said. “On my little piece of earth so far, we’re still there.”

For Pedwell, this isn’t closure, but she said these videos at least mean she doesn’t have to wonder.

“It’s hard to see, but I think it’s just, I don’t know, it’s part of the process. Maybe it will help when we finally get to go back,” said Pedwell.