As a longtime fiction writer, Judith Hutchinson-Lepore knows a good story when it happens. The West Kelowna author realized the devastating McDougall Creek wildfire in August 2023 was one no one would ever forget.

Having recently moved to the gated community of Royal Heights, Lepore documented the disaster in her new book, Finding the Phoenix: An Evacuee’s Harrowing Story of Fleeing the McDougall Creek Wildfire. The fire destroyed over 13,000 hectares and more than 200 homes, with 35,000 residents evacuated—10,000 in the first 24 hours. Royal Heights was among the most-impacted areas.

“Our neighborhood was among the hardest hit, with more than half of the homes in our gated community of Royal Heights burned to the ground,” said Lepore. “We were evacuated for over a month and forced to li

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