Wildfire rescuer stopped after breaking evacuation zone rules

An animal rescuer who had been working to save livestock from the Summerland wildfire evacuation zone has been barred from continuing his efforts due to rule violations. Kazimir Nowlin had been actively rescuing animals since Friday, moving them to safety away from the Bald Range fire.

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I was fixing a stable in Falkland to get a stallion that we had rescued off the reserve there, we’d finished that up, and then we heard about the Summerland fire starting up, so we just jumped in our vehicles.

Upon arriving at the scene, Nowlin and his team immediately evacuated four horses from the fire's proximity and transported them to Oliver. They then rescued several more horses, taking them to OK Falls. Carolyn Dobler, a rancher from Stonewall Ranch, expressed immense gratitude, stating that Nowlin and his team had rescued all of her animals.

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I finally got everybody here in one place last night, and went home and had a good cry and was so grateful.

However, Nowlin and his team were subsequently informed that permits were required to enter evacuated areas. They were advised to coordinate with the Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT). Despite this, Nowlin was told on Tuesday night that he could no longer work with ALERT. The reason cited was his violation of their rules, specifically filming animals and homes within evacuation zones and sharing the content on social media.

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Where is the counselling? Where is the support? Where is all of that?

Daryl Meyers of ALERT explained that such protocols are in place to prevent negative reactions from people viewing the footage. He stated that Nowlin "went rogue" and that the RCMP had requested Nowlin stand down. Meyers emphasized the importance of adhering to rules to ensure ALERT's continued access to affected areas. Nowlin expressed disappointment, feeling that his actions were necessary and that leadership was not adequately addressing the situation.

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He went rogue on us.