As members of the media were allowed into Fort McMurray for the first time since a wildfire tore through the city a week prior, Wood Buffalo’ s leading firefighter had a message for the area’ s 80,000 evacuees.
As members of the media were allowed into Fort McMurray for the first time since a wildfire tore through the city a week prior, Wood Buffalo’ s leading firefighter had a message for the area’ s 80,000 evacuees.
“Fort McMurray is still alive,” said Regional Fire Chief Darby Allen. “When we get you back, we can build the future together.”
Allen led a select group of journalists-including a POST reporter-on a controlled tour of the city last Monday. The damage to some neighbourhoods is substantial, but Allen estimates that 85 per cent of the city’ s structures are still standing despite how quickly “The Beast” spread.
“It was like an animal,” he said to reporters on a bus shuttling them through the city. “It was like no fire I’ ve ever seen.”
The fire displaced multitudes of residents, many of whom have taken shelter in and around Lac La Biche. Over 4,700 evacuees registered at the evacuation centre at the Bold Center multiplex. Hundreds stayed there full-time, while others relocated to hotels, campgrounds and neighbouring First Nations reserves and Métis settlements.
In a news conference at Wood Buffalo’ s Emergency Operations Centre, Premier Rachel Notley urged residents not to waste their time trying to return to Fort McMurray because the city remains unsafe.
“There are smouldering hot spots everywhere,” she said. “We still have a large, growing and dangerous wildfire.”
A police barricade on Highway 63 blocks access to the city from the south. It was there that members of the media assembled for a tour of the area, which remains under a mandatory evacuation order.
Within the city limits, emergency responders are the only people to be found. Radio channels produce only static. Downtown, in the river valley, cellular service is negligible at best.
The tour stopped in Beacon Hill and Abasand, two neighbourhoods that were heavily damaged by the out-of-control blaze.
Row on row of homes in Beacon Hill have been levelled, but a bus shelter on the periphery still stands. In Abasand, a carwash at the corner of Athabasca Ave. has been completely destroyed-but the neighbouring fuel station and other nearby businesses are untouched.
Allen said the wildfire’ s behaviour was extremely unpredictable as it moved through the city, evading firefighters’ attempts to contain it.
“I do truly believe we couldn’ t have done any more,” he said.
In one case, a firefighter learned that his own home had been lost to the flames. According to Allen, the man continued working for another 22 hours “before he just couldn’ t stand.”
Notley said the intensity of the fire struck her, but she’ s thankful that much of the city is still standing today.
“I’ m told we lost about 2,400 structures. We saved almost 25,000,” the premier said.
Notley also said it will be some time before evacuees can return to Fort McMurray. First, damage assessments need to be completed and then basic services like electricity need to be restored.
After that, a reentry plan will have to be made to direct the flow of people going home.
“I know how strong the desire is, in the aftermath of an event like this, to be back home and start putting your life back together,” Alberta’ s Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee said in a statement later in the week. “There are a number of things that need to happen to make the community safe.”
Notley said people need not worry that Fort McMurray will be abandoned.
“The city was surrounded by an ocean of fire...but Fort McMurray and the surrounding communities have been saved and they will be rebuilt,” she said.
Allen had a similar message, telling evacuees from afar that their home community will return.
“Home is still here,” he said.
