Leigh Ann Biety and her family are finally able to relax after arriving in Canmore, Alta., on Saturday. They lost nearly everything they owned after the quick-moving Eaton fire destroyed their home in Altadena, Calif.
Leigh Ann, who grew up in Edmonton but moved to L.A. to pursue a film career, says the flames were barely visible at first.
“I just noticed out the window, just the smallest flicker of light,” Leigh Ann told Global News. “It could have been like a candle on a cake.”
Leigh Ann’s husband Denton Biety had gone out to buy batteries, as the local utility company had disconnected power to homes in the neighbourhood. By the time he got home, he said, the fire had moved much closer.
“It is gone from this little flicker, you know on the other side of the hill, to now what’s roaring in these winds,” he explained.
Both Leigh Ann and Denton quickly started packing what they could, while Denton’s mother – who was visiting from Florida – kept their two young sons calm.
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From the time they first noticed the fire to when they got in the car to escape the rapidly approaching wildfire, only 14 minutes had passed.
They chose to drive across the city, to stay with friends. Other people they knew who lived close to their home also offered accommodation, but Denton said he knew that wouldn’t have lasted long.
“They were so sweet, they said ‘Well come stay with us, we’ve got a suite in the basement,’” Denton said. “Four hours later, their house was gone.”
The Bietys then stayed at a few hotels that were hosting people who fled the fires. While there, they were able to sort through donations to stock up on more clothes.
Leigh Ann said the kindness shown by strangers was unbelievable at times. She recalled one woman bringing them a bag filled with presents for their sons after learning it had recently been one of their birthdays.
Denton returned to their home a day or two after leaving to see what was left – to see if anything had been spared.
“It was still smoking, everything had burned completely to the ground,” Denton said, “except for two chimneys standing there.”
Although Leigh Ann moved to Altadena 19 years ago, she and her family return to Canmore regularly, visiting her mother and taking in the sights.
While they wait for things like insurance to be sorted out, they said they intend to return to Altadena once it’s safe, and they can find suitable accommodations.
“I think this is what it’s about. We landed (Saturday), we had a good night’s rest,” said Leigh Ann. “Now we’re hoping to get that sleep back, and then open our laptops to figure out what’s next.”
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