'They’re burnt up but they’re something': Tantallon-area residents find items left behind from wildfires

Tantallon-area residents find items left behind from wildfires and sift through rubble where their houses once stood.

Standing in the shell of his former house, Andrew Vey sifts through the rubble left behind from the Tantallon-area wildfire’s path of destruction.

He found some of his navy medals in what was his office. He also found part of a pipe—a keepsake from his sister’s wedding.

“They’re burnt up but they’re something. I found a little jewelry box that has some old burnt up rings in it and stuff and some old coins so maybe clean them off or just leave them as they are,” Vey said.

“I thought maybe if I could take one small thing at least for each person, if I could find something then you know, maybe put it in the next house.”

This was Vey’s first time back home. It’s where he lived with his wife and two young children. His shed and garage survived, but his home is destroyed.

“The home is just a building, a house is just a house, the home is the family in it so we’ll get new things and we’ll move on from there,” Vey said.

For those in the area whose houses survived the blaze, the next challenge is addressing potential water contamination through testing.