About 5 p.m. on June 30, Wes Snukwa鈥檚 phone rang.

It was his dad, in a panic.

鈥淗e started yelling on the phone, 鈥榯he whole town of Lytton is being evacuated鈥︹��

鈥淚 was just in disbelief. He was yelling at me on the phone, yelling at the family in the house, yelling at whoever was at the door telling them to evacuate. He was yelling at my Uncle Arnold to get in the car because he was trying to gather up things from the house,鈥� recounts Snukwa, who lives in Salmon Arm.

While they had been watching another bigger wildfire for a few days, this one was smaller and just appeared suddenly below the village.

There was no time to hook up the family trailer.

The fire was literally chasing the two vehicles containing his parents, his brother, his sister, his one uncle who lives with them and another uncle who was visiting, Snukwa said. They also picked up people along the way.

鈥淚n the truck ahead of my family there were people and dogs in the box of a truck,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey had to just jump in and get out.鈥�

Snukwa鈥檚 family are members of the Lytton First Nation. He said his reserve is right next to the village; his family鈥檚 house is on Main Street Lytton but on the reserve side. He said the town is probably just two miles long. His family had to drive down into the village, into the black smoke, in order to escape onto Highway 12 to Lillooet.

Snukwa (who also goes by Wilson) grew up in Lytton, the only person in his family to move away.

His parents have lived in the family home for 60 years. Snukwa, 44, grew up there but moved to Salmon Arm about 16 years ago with his spouse Kristine Wilson. She was raised in Salmon Arm and wanted to return because she was pregnant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just heart-breaking, just terrible thinking about our family home where we grew up, our neighbours, our aunties, our cousins. To know their houses are totally demolished. Literally our whole reserve is flattened.鈥�

He said looking at all the photos Facebooked by those families is unreal.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe it, just chimneys are standing.鈥�

He鈥檚 not certain his family鈥檚 home was burned to the ground, but he thinks it probably was.

Snukwa is left feeling helpless, so far away in Salmon Arm.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 even go there, the three highways are cut off,鈥� he adds.

He pointed out while some accounts said only 250 people were evacuated from Lytton, that doesn鈥檛 include the more than 1,000 people from the adjoining Lytton First Nation.

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Snukwa鈥檚 parents stayed at the Lillooet Rec Centre the night of the evacuation, but then had to go to Merritt where they slept in the car. Accommodation was found for them in Kelowna so that鈥檚 where they went July 2. He said people he knows are spread out in Logan Lake, Merritt, Chilliwack, Hope, Lillooet and up and down the Fraser Valley.

鈥淓veryone that I know and am worried about is accounted for.鈥�

Snukwa said he is so thankful for the surrounding communities, for donations and for help.

鈥淔or taking my family in and giving my parents food and clothes and water and someplace to gather. I鈥檓 so sorry my aunties and cousins and childhood friends, I鈥檓 so sorry their houses have burned down, with all their memories.鈥�

As for what鈥檚 next: 鈥淲e all have to connect and hug each other and talk. Everyone wants to go home. But what are they going to go home to? We don鈥檛 know what they鈥檙e going home to鈥� I think my sister said it right. You can rebuild but you can鈥檛 get back the comfort of your childhood home.鈥�

Asked about donations, Snukwa said he puts a lot of trust in the Savage Society which has set up a GoFundMe page, with donations going directly to support victims. If you鈥檇 like to donate, go to: .

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