IROQUOIS FALLS - The chill of the Northern Ontario hockey rink is a stark contrast to the wildfire warnings affecting one player's family back home in California.
Iroquois Falls Storm forward Andrew Scott is closely monitoring updates from his family in Claremont, California. They’re about 30 minutes east of the Eaton fire that started on Jan. 7 and was reported at over 14,000 acres in size this morning (Jan. 11).
Scott first learned about the wildfires on Wednesday afternoon through a warning on his phone that alerted residents to high winds and fire risks.
His family has not been directly impacted by the fires but has been dealing with high winds.
“The wind is causing the fire to spread rapidly while also causing things like trees to fall down,” Scott said.
“But so far, my family's safe. So that's a good thing for me, being up here, knowing that my family is OK, that’s all that matters to me right now.”
Scott's family has been helping neighbours impacted by the winds clean up their yards.
He's confident that his California community will recover from this disaster by “coming together and helping each other out.”
“In a neighbourhood app I’m part of, people have been saying that if anyone needs a place to stay … People are handing out clothes for free, food for free, water for free. So, I think everyone's been coming together and helping each other out, which is nice to see,” he said.
This is not the first time Scott’s family has experienced fire-related challenges. In 2018, an attic fan explosion caused a fire in their home, leaving them displaced for a year.
“It happened during a wildfire, but it wasn't caused by a wildfire,” he said.
That experience influenced Scott’s decision to pursue a career as a firefighter.
“I’m in school for that right now,” he said.
Scott is currently completing a fire science degree through Mt. San Antonio College in California. He plans to attend the fire academy in person this summer and eventually work as a firefighter/EMT in his home state.
While living in Iroquois Falls and focusing on hockey, Scott said he has been keeping in regular contact with his family.
“They handle this kind of stuff pretty well. I've been keeping in touch with them and making sure that they're OK. But they comfort me in making sure that I know everything's okay,” he said.
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Scott said he’s also found support from his teammates and coaches.
“Everyone's been checking up on me and making sure that if I need to talk or anything, I can go to them,” he said.
Before moving to Northern Ontario to play hockey, Scott lived in the Golden State his whole life.
He’s been living in Iroquois Falls for two years. Prior to that, he lived in Cochrane for a year while playing with the Crunch.
Scott plans to return to the U.S. next year to continue his post-secondary studies while also pursuing hockey.
He said watching something like this unfold back home is sad.
“Knowing that there's a risk of my family being in trouble, it's sad. But knowing they're OK is all that matters,” he said.
