Faulder family loses both homes in devastating Summerland wildfire

As flames roared through the community of Faulder, the Wagners never imagined their homes could vanish in only a few hours.

“You’re thinking, like, ‘I’m going to be gone for a few days,'” Shawna Wagner told Global News.

“Not, ‘I’m never going to come back to anything that we’ve left behind.'”

Shawna and Lucas Wagner were forced to leave behind what they had envisioned for their future as the newlyweds had only purchased the home in December.

“I think Luke and I both agreed we wanted our kids to have a childhood like he did,” Shawna added.

Video captured by Faulder residents Brock and Rick Leitner confirmed that Lucas’ childhood home was gone.

“It looks like we got hit with the bomb,” Lucas said.

“Like it just in an hour. It was, it just was a war zone, is what it looks like.”

He added they will be returning to a heartbreaking, burnt-down memory.

Lucas’ dad, Joe Wagner, built parts of the home himself as he was a contractor by trade.

“Sweat that my family and I put into giving ourselves a home, all the belongings that are in there, all the memories,” Joe said.

He said his home was the first in the subdivision, but now his community is unrecognizable.

He said he is determined to rebuild, however.

“I want to be a part of helping everybody else get their lives back, as well,” Joe said.

The family is staying at Lucas’ aunt’s house and they say they feel overwhelmed by the support of family and friends.

“Everyone’s going to be there for each other at the end of the day, and that’s all you can ask for when you know you’ve already lost so much,” Lucas said.