"Burned to the ground": Documentary tells story of Canadian town destroyed by wildfire (VIDEO)

A new documentary about the 2021 wildfire that destroyed the town of Lytton, BC, was released Thursday, and it features heart-wrenching footage and interviews with residents amid what used to be the town.

The 16-minute film, entitled Burned to the Ground, was commissioned by UK newspaper The Guardian, and it’s now available to watch worldwide. The release of the documentary is timely, as widespread wildfires choke skies across Canada on the West Coast and East Coast.

Wallop Film/Submitted

“The town of Lytton, BC, caught the attention of the world when it smashed Canada’s highest temperature ever recorded. Two days later, it had burned to the ground,” a news release about the film says. “Amidst the backdrop of the global climate story, the documentary tells the story of three people who show us the fragility of what it feels like to lose your home.”

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The documentary also contextualizes the community of Lytton, home of the Nlaka’pamux Nation — a significant place at the convergence of two rivers. The town is also the home of settlers and has a frontier history as people tried their fortune with mining. The town also had a significant Chinese population, many of whom are the descendants of railroad workers who made their way across the country.

“Through our documentary, we pose the question, ‘Can this community hold on to its identity after being displaced far and wide? And will these strong, diverse peoples who have coexisted here for decades teach us something about the dangerous path we are all on?'” the filmmakers said.