The cost of the 2021 western North America heat wave and the fires it kindled was measured in records broken, lives lost and homes destroyed. Behind those numbers were millions of ordinary people forced to confront extraordinary times, as our world has become warmer.
Five years later, The Tyee presents stories of five of those survivors as told in their own words. Their testimonies were created with the Climate Disaster Project at the University of Victoria.
In This Series
Enduring the Killer Heat, in Their Own Words
As they sweltered, Jen Hatton’s newborn was struggling. And so was her ailing cat. First in a series recalling the scorching summer of 2021.
‘I Don’t Want Lytton to Be Forgotten’
The village’s mayor remembers the day fire changed everything. And shares her hope for what lies ahead.
‘It's Going to Happen Again’
Recalling how wildfire caused chaos in her city five years ago, a Kamloops councillor calls for better planning.
The Condo That Became an Oven
A Vancouver resident recalls how her dream home turned hellish when the record heat wave hit.
‘It Was Chaos When We Got There’
A firefighter’s account of a heart-wrenching shift during BC’s 2021 heat dome. Last in a series.