'It was just magical': Hinton councillor forms friendship with 84-year-old evacuee

Hinton town councillor JoAnn Race would have never predicted what happened when she agreed to house an 84-year-old wildfire evacuee and her 18-year-old dog: an instant friendship.

"It was like somebody brought this little sweetheart into our lives," said Race. "I hope she never leaves."

Lori Bradley and her dog Jenna,along with 8,000 Edson residents, had to evacuate their home on May 5 as wildfires raged nearby.

But the two couldn't find anywhere with a bed, so they spent an uncomfortable night in the backseat of Bradley'scar at a recreation centre parking lot.

"I had nowhere else to go the dog and I suffered it out," Bradley said.

It wasn't until the next day, when Bradley was grabbing lunch, that awoman walked up to her and asked where she'd been sleeping.

That lady was Joan Melvin, a retired social worker who said she first heard about Bradley from a volunteer who'd been scanning the parking lot for vulnerable people sleeping in their vehicles.

Melvin said she immediately called Race, who just informed her 15 minutes prior that she and her husband, Chris, have a spare bedroom. Melvin said that even after she told Race about Bradley's senior dog, she "didn't blink an eye."

I would not call us strangers. Not for one second-JoAnn Race

During the time Bradley spent with Race, the two went shopping, cooked meals, and took care of Jenna together. Both say the more they spoke, the more they discovered just how much they have in common.

"[She] has such a life story that I could just sit and listen all day," said Race.

Evacuees have experienced all sorts of unexpected living arrangements as theyscramble to find places to stay. Some people have told CBC News they've been sleeping in places like trailers, vans, community centres, and the homes of kind strangers who agreed to take them in while their home community is under evacuation order.

"I am just one of 10,000 wonderful people that live in Hinton," said Race. "I'm so proud of my little community ... not everybody can take extra people in, but if they can do that, this is a terrible, scary time for people."

After spending three days together, Bradley and Jenna returned to Edson once evacuation orders were lifted. But not before her and Race had one last meal together: Hot dogs.

The two say they plan to stay in touch.

"I would not call us strangers. Not for one second from day onewe saw each other, itwas just magical," said Race.