Reclaimed by Mother Nature: The End of Anyox
Walking among the ruins, one observation became strikingly clear: where had all the wood gone? Our guide Rob’s tone grew somber as he uttered a single word — “fire.”
Over the next seven years, Anyox’s remaining life was spent being dismantled, piece by piece. Equipment and machinery were stripped away and shipped out, filling 13 barges with over 6,000 tons of scrap.
The final blow came in July 1942 when a lightning strike in the nearby valley set the dry hills ablaze. At first, the town narrowly avoided destruction, but the fire split into two, and strong winds drove the flames straight into its heart. The last 25 residents fled aboard a scow bound for the neighboring town of Alice Arm. When the fire was done, nothing remained but scorched concrete and twisted steel.
Even without the fire, Rob reminded us, Anyox’s fate was inevitable. The valley endures up to 15 feet of heavy, wet snow each year — a century of that kind of punishment would collapse even the strongest roofs.
But the story doesn’t end here. Next, we’ll explore some the main parts of the town site intimately.