For the first time in decades 150 Mile House Volunteer Fire Dept. Chief Stan McCarthy is on the receiving end of emergency support.
Borland Creek, which began overflowing on Monday evening, is only eight feet away from his house.
“I saw the creek high once about 40 years ago, but it’s never been as high as my driveway,” he told the Tribune Tuesday evening.
“It’s unbelievable. It sounds like thunder if I walk outside.”
The level began rising about three days ago and then on Monday evening at about 9 p.m. McCarthy decided to move his truck across his bridge and park it on the other side just in case.
Then at about 11 p.m. when he checked, the water was starting to go over the bridge so he went out and shut off his natural gas line.
“All my real estate is going to Williams Lake,” he joked. “I’ll probably have to pay taxes in Williams Lake now.”
Read more: Update: Spring flooding wreaking havoc on Cariboo Chilcotin roads
With help from 150 Mile firefighters Shar and J.J. Bast about 100 sandbags were placed along his property.
“They had to use a four-wheeler to get here and help me shovel because I’m not able to use my arms,” McCarthy said.
Three years ago he put in a new bridge across the creek and thought he was playing it safe by placing it higher than the old one.
It’s not gone yet, but if the water rises anymore it will, he added, noting the water level is still rising but not as rapidly.
Several nearby properties have also been flooded and are ‘in the same boat’ as he is because their bridges are flooded and they are on the ‘wrong side of the creek,’ he said.
So far he hasn’t been able to visit to find out if anyone has water in their homes, but he is guessing that a few people might.
“There are some homes completely surrounded by water.”
Pigeon Road was closed Tuesday night and McCarthy said people won’t have a way of getting into town because Huston Road washed out earlier in the day.
“We took a fire truck from the hall and parked it on a private driveway on Huston Road so we’ve got access to Borland Valley and if something happens we can get there.”
It is pretty scary, he admitted.
When asked if he was going to be able to sleep, he said he didn’t think so.
“Everytime I hear a funny noise I look outside.”
On Monday the Cariboo Regional District arranged for United Concrete to drop off a load of sand at the fire hall and it is there with bags for residents, said McCarthy, but said the sand is almost all gone.
McCarthy has been part of the fire department the last 40 years and chief since 1990.
Read more: 150 Mile House fire chief receiving Medal of Good Citizenship
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