JUNE 6, 2023 UPDATE: We’re back to our property which remained untouched from the fire and back to full operation. We’re very grateful to be home but devastated by the damage to our community. Original post below:
On Sunday, May 28th we had to evacuate our home and business headquarters due to the escalating Tantallon Wildfires. The fire started in the Westwood area in Tantallon and quickly spread NorthEast. With very little notice we had to fully evacuate from our Hammonds Plains property amid the strong winds and thickening smoke. The property is not only the home to Solar Ascent, but also my family. Our focus was to gather the immediate needs and get our toddler and dog to safety as quickly as possible.
The fire has since rapidly spread to Yankeetown, Pockwock and Glen Arbour. The McCabe Lake area has also been evacuated due to fire risk although as of the time of this post the McCabe evacuation order has been rescinded.
We’re absolutely devastated to see the damage done to our community. Reports are that over 150 houses have been destroyed. As of this moment the fire is still considered out of control as firefighters battle extreme heat and dry conditions to get a handle on it.
Below is a map of the Tantallon Wildfires and our location within it:
We’ve been working with officials to try and pull some of our vehicles, trailers and equipment off the property when possible to do so. These efforts are obviously down the list of priorities for the front line workers trying to get the fire under control. We’re extremely grateful for all of the hard work happening to contain the blaze.
For our business, this is obviously a setback. We’re going to be behind on our installation targets as our ability to get back to our property remains unclear. Our main hope is that we still have a property to get back to, and that the fire can be contained. At this point returning to business as usual seems to be a long ways off.
We appreciate your patience as we navigate this latest challenge in a string of challenging years. Our thoughts and hopes are with the front line workers and their safety. Our hearts go out to all those in our community that have lost their homes. We’re gutted to see the damage this fire has done.
To find out more info on the status of the Tantallon Wildfires, here are some helpful links:
Stay safe out there and stay tuned to our socials and website for updates as we get more information.