British Columbia鈥檚 2023 wildfires were a life-changing disaster for many, and their impact has echoed into the holiday season.

The fire season was already breaking records by mid-August when forecasters warned that dry lightning and strong winds on the way were a recipe for catastrophe. Thousands were forced to leave in the southern Interior ahead of fast-moving wildfires. Fire officials described a ferocious fight to save homes, but hundreds were burned to their foundations in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions.

From fire chiefs, to those who lost their homes, to Pumba the pig, here鈥檚 how some affected by the emergency are spending their holiday season:

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鈥業 DON鈥橳 THINK WE鈥橵E EVER BEEN STRONGER鈥�

Paul Zydowicz is among 13 members of the Wilson鈥檚 Landing Fire Department who lost their homes when a wildfire tore through their small community on the shores of Okanagan Lake in August.

The fire chief said the disaster 鈥渆clipsed鈥� everything else they experienced this year.

鈥淩egardless of what else happened in everybody鈥檚 lives, we just keep on going back and talking about the fire,鈥� Zydowicz said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of associated stress, there鈥檚 a lot of trauma, there鈥檚 a lot of sadness, but I think overall, the community is pretty positive in our plans going forward.鈥�

As terrible as it was, Zydowicz said the destructive fire has pulled people together.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e ever been stronger as far as the feeling of community.鈥�

Zydowicz said the holiday season will help people as they try to 鈥済o back to normal,鈥� but it鈥檚 hard to start from scratch.

鈥淎ll the Christmas decorations that aren鈥檛 there anymore, that you鈥檝e accumulated for 20, 30 years sometimes, and the older folks, longer than that,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have those things your kids made 鈥� that used to hang on the tree every year.鈥�

He and his family are renting a house in nearby West 琉璃神社, where they can stay for up to two years as they start the process of rebuilding.

Others have temporary arrangements, as they struggle to find a home in the rental market, he said.

Zydowicz said he鈥檚 heard of insurance companies indicating it could be three or four years before some residents will be able to return home after rebuilding.

鈥淚t鈥檚 rather massive, because we just added 200 homes to be rebuilt in a very small area and 鈥� you know, the rest of the province was burning too.鈥� 鈥�

Looking ahead, Zydowicz said he hopes the landscape starts showing signs of recovery and the rebuilding process is smooth for those who lost their homes.

鈥淩ebuilding is part of it, but there鈥檚 only so much we can do about nature and I鈥檓 hoping that we have nature help us with making the area look green again, because that鈥檚 what was the magic about our little neck of the woods here.鈥�

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鈥業T鈥橲 JUST GONNA BE A LOT OF HARD WORK鈥�

Jesse Zeman and his family use to host holiday gatherings at their property, where people could skate on an outdoor rink and go tobogganing.

But their home was destroyed in the wildfire that raced through forest and suburbs in West 琉璃神社 in August.

鈥淭he good news is we have a place now and get to see some family over the holidays and yeah, so that鈥檚 the silver lining I guess,鈥� he said.

After the fire, Zeman and his wife and two children stayed with family, then lived in a short-term rental for months before finding a new place at the beginning of December.

He said the family will be there for about six months as they wait on their insurance claim so they can begin rebuilding.

Zeman said it鈥檚 been somewhat overwhelming trying to deal with the preparations to rebuild, but over the holidays, they鈥檒l be spending time with family 鈥渁nd taking time to relax.鈥�

The stress of dealing with the area鈥檚 tight rental market after the fire was difficult to manage, he said, but the flip-side has seen those in his neighbourhood come together to support each other.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 see any miracles on the horizon. It鈥檚 just gonna be a lot of hard work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely, I would say, brought our neighbourhood together for sure, which has been really good. Everybody鈥檚 reaching out and in contact and supporting each other. So, that鈥檚 been that鈥檚 been pretty, pretty awesome for sure.鈥�

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鈥楳AKING IT THROUGH, BUT NOT WITHOUT DIFFICULTY鈥�

Jennifer Hansen helped feed firefighters and evacuees during the wildfires and said she鈥檚 one of the lucky ones this Christmas in West 琉璃神社.

The Salvation Army captain said she鈥檒l be spending Christmas in her home, with her family, putting up decorations that have been part of her holiday traditions for years.

Others won鈥檛 be so fortunate, said Hansen who is hearing from people who lost their homes in the wildfires who are struggling emotionally and financially.

鈥淔or me it was an inconvenience,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e were out of our house for 10 days but we went back and everything was there as is and I got to pull out my decorations and put them up.鈥�

鈥淪ome of these folks tell stories of them thinking back to the Christmas decorations that were very sentimental to them that were passed down through the family and over time, that the kids made for them or a parent gave to them, and they don鈥檛 have those anymore,鈥� Hansen said.

She said Christmas can also be a reminder for some of everything that was lost.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty heartbreaking, heartbreaking stories that we鈥檙e hearing,鈥� said Hansen. 鈥淚t is difficult and I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l play it down and say, 鈥榠t鈥檚 not that bad.鈥� People are making it through but not without difficulty.鈥�

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鈥楢 VERY DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS鈥�

The scars of the McDougall Creek wildfire that raced through West 琉璃神社 in August are plainly visible this holiday season.

West 琉璃神社 Fire Chief Jason Brolund said groups are coming together every day to support those who lost their homes.

鈥淎nd it鈥檚 devastating to look up on the hills there and see the scars, and know that means a very different Christmas for those whose homes were lost.

鈥淭he early days of the fire were difficult physically for us because we were working hard and we weren鈥檛 sleeping or eating properly,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I think that as time has gone on, things have become more challenging mentally.鈥�

But Brolund 鈥� who became a nationally known figure due to daily fire briefings and went on to address the United Nations 鈥� said the wildfire has also brought out the best in the community as people rallied around firefighters and those who lost their homes.

He said that, just as the scars of the fire are still visible, so are signs along the edge of the highway with messages of gratitude and support for emergency response staff and others.

鈥淭he number of cards and signs that were at the firehall was overwhelming,鈥� Brolund said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a sign up in the firehall here from a family that lost their home, and we walk by that every day.鈥�

He said the fire brought the importance of family back into focus.

鈥淣one of this would have been possible for our firefighters if it wasn鈥檛 for our families,鈥� Brolund said. 鈥淭he majority of our firefighters were evacuated during this fire, and they didn鈥檛 have time to go home to pack. So, none of this (effort) would have happened if it wasn鈥檛 for the families taking care of that at home.鈥�

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PUMBA THE PIG 鈥楯UST LIVING HER BEST LIFE鈥�

Pumba the pig didn鈥檛 just survive when a wildfire swept over the Broken Rail Ranch in West 琉璃神社 in August.

She鈥檚 thriving, according to Keramia Lawrie, whose parents own the ranch. She said Pumba was looking forward to a Christmas meal of turkey leftovers and maybe some spaghetti.

Lawrie said Pumba emerged from the disaster with a taste for pasta thanks to firefighters who took care of her after she was found alive in the ruins of the ranch.

A helicopter pilot initially threw granola bars from the air to sustain Pumba but later other firefighters 鈥淒oorDashed her spaghetti,鈥� said Lawrie.

She said Pumba refused to eat her regular diet after being 鈥渟o spoiled鈥� by the fire crews, but she won鈥檛 begrudge a Christmas feast for the hog.

鈥淚 think she deserves that. She is a survivor,鈥� Lawrie said.

When the fire swept over the farm in August, Lawrie鈥檚 father, Jeff Findlay, had to escape without Pumba and her sister Miss Wilbur. Pumba was spotted from the air roaming on a patch of grass, but Miss Wilbur didn鈥檛 survive.

Lawrie said Pumba appeared to have overcome the loss of Miss Wilbur and moved on with her life.

鈥淚 think we are gonna get her another pig eventually, but right now she seems pretty happy hanging out with the goats and the horses,鈥� said Lawrie. 鈥淪he gets lots of attention.鈥�

Pumba鈥檚 daily routine involves lots of napping and when she is awake, she hangs out with other farm animals.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of her day, she is very spoiled. She doesn鈥檛 have to work or anything,鈥� laughed Lawrie.

Community volunteers have come together over the past few months to help rebuild the farm, including a little hut for Pumba to replace the one destroyed in the fire.

鈥淪he loves it. She鈥檚 very happy,鈥� said Lawrie. 鈥淪he鈥檚 really just living her best life.鈥�

Two mysteries remain, Lawrie said. The first is how the giant pig survived in the eye of the wildfire storm. The second is how much she weighs because she鈥檚 now too big to fit on the scale.

READ ALSO: West 琉璃神社 ranch heart 鈥榖roken鈥� after losing property, beloved pig to fire

READ ALSO: 13 Wilson鈥檚 Landing firefighters lose their homes to McDougall Creek wildfire