Becca Ignace's family homestead burned down two weeks ago. It's where she was raised after her parents moved from Montreal to British Columbia a half-century ago. Mendel and Paula Rubinson built that homestead, raised Becca and her two brothers and still continue to run a popular organic vegetable farm west of Kamloops. Ignace, meanwhile, married an Indigenous man and moved onto his reserve, where the couple now lives with their two youngest kids.

But when wildfires began ravaging British Columbia, Ignace and her family were forced to evacuate their home right after Canada Day. More than 100 firefighters are working tirelessly on the Sparks Lake fire to keep it from destroying any buildings in her community; others, including Ignace's two brothers, Saul and Eli Rubinson, are helping on the frontlines. As if the fires themselves weren't dangerous enough, life has been completely upended for everyone in the region.

Ignace joins today to discuss what the scene is like on the ground, and how her family is coping with the struggle.

What we talked about:

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.