Western Bay resident Vanessa Butler lost her home in the massive wildfire that tore through Conception Bay North in August. But she was determined to get back to her property, and look for anything of value in the rubble. (Ryan Cooke/CBC)

A light rain fell on the charred remains of twisted metal and chunks of ash, as Vanessa Butler's birthday sash rippled in the wind.

This was never the way she intended to spend the day, watching a team of volunteers in hazmat suits sift through the remnants of her home in Western Bay.

"This was home. This was security. My safe space. A roof over my head. Yeah, it's hard seeing it like this. But it was home," she said.

Butler moved to Western Bay about 15 years ago, seeking a quiet place to get away from life in the city. She found a mobile home by a

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