When Andrew Erickson spotted a little grey cat sitting alone on a burned dock, he knew something was wrong.
The Bradley Creek wildfire had ripped through the area, and Erickson had been helping his neighbours survey the damage from a boat when he saw her.
“We spotted a little grey cat sitting on a dock. Part of the dock was burned,” Erickson said.
He says the cat, who he later named Lucky, appeared to have been alone for days.
“It’s been two and a half days without help,” he said.
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Lucky was badly burned. Her fur was so singed that Erickson says he couldn’t even tell whether she was long-haired or short-haired.
Her paws and ears were burned, and she had a bald patch above her eye.
But when Erickson picked her up, the frightened cat seemed to know she was safe.
“I picked her up. First thing she did was snuggle with me and stayed with me all the way home,” he said.
Erickson put Lucky inside a hoodie and brought her inside. A veterinarian later told him she needed to leave the area for medical treatment.
Lucky is now recovering in foster care while efforts continue to find her owner. At the time Erickson’s interview was recorded, no one had claimed her.
If no owner comes forward, Erickson says she will have a home with him.
“If she hasn’t got people, she is more than welcome here,” he said.
Lucky is not the only animal caught in the devastation.
The Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT), a volunteer group that helps animals during wildfires and other emergencies, says four cats from the Bradley Creek fire are currently looking for homes while the organization works to reunite animals with their owners.
The fire destroyed about 230 homes, according to Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson, leaving a trail of devastation across the community.
For Erickson, Lucky is a small bright spot after an enormous loss.
“She makes me smile every time I think of her,” he said.
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