introducing...
THE BENTALLS
With a well worn songbook of self-penned country spun duets, Trixie and Dustin Bentall have spent the last handful of years honouring their good-time guarantee at dude ranches, barn dances and country socials in the heartland of British Columbia where they live.
picking up the reins
It seemed only natural for the two musicians to partner up as "The Bentalls", making it official both on and off of stage.
Social media dropouts with legendary musical lineage in their own rights, they knew it was high time to get back in the saddle, make a record, and hit the road - so on July 7th, 2026, The Bentalls headed into the studio for their first official demo session.
this ain't a drill - it's time
In the early hours of July 17, lightning struck about 10 kilometres away from the Bentalls' family ranch near Clinton, BC, and ignited what by morning had become a disastrous, wildly out of control fire. With 2 youngsters in tow, Trixie, Dustin and his father (musician/rancher Barney Bentall) did as much fire preparation as humanly possible in the 4 days that followed, at which point they were urged to evacuate. The Bentalls headed to the nearby village of Clinton where they live when they're not at the ranch.
Having seen the burning orange in the night skies as they drove down the mountain into town, they knew 'this ain't a drill; it's time'. They kept packing.
take what you can; leave the rest behind
The fire continued to grow explosively and merged with another nearby wildfire, causing the evacuation order to expand, this time including Clinton and all surrounding areas. They managed to get themselves and their instruments into the truck and high-tailed it out of town just 2 hours before the fire charged over the mountain, decimating homes, businesses, ranches and unfathomable amounts of forest.
Using the wipers to clear the falling ashes from the truck windows, The Bentalls drove under an apocalyptic sky to Caravan Farm Theatre where they'd been booked to join in on a few nights of song and dance. At Caravan, they found refuge: taking the stage, sharing meals and and writing songs in the cookshack with a community of actors and musicians.
state of emergency
As of August 11, 2026, what's now known as the Big Bar Fire Complex is about 560 square miles in size and is anticipated to spread beyond its current control line.
When the fire passed through 57 Mile Ranch, it took a bunkhouse, the hayshed and most of this year's hay. Thanks to the tireless work of hundreds of fire personnel, the village of Clinton made it through the worst, but many friends and neighbours experienced deep loss. The magnititude of destruction is still unknown and the pangs of grief hang heavy in the air.
With new wildfires starting every day and expected to ramp even into the fall, the province of BC has declared a state of emergency.
weathervane
Currently, the evacuation order is still active, meaning The Bentalls don't know when they'll be able to go back home. Everything rides on the weathervane.
In the meantime, they don't have much choice other than to buckle down on what they do best. A night of song and dance with The Bentalls is a full bodied dose of fool-proof folk medicine; it's something they feel more compelled than ever to share.
Crossing paths with disaster can force us to take stock of what really matters. For the Bentalls, it's in finding harmony together.