Albertans across the province have been closely watching the wildfires and devastating situation unfold in Fort McMurray. Innisfailians Gerald and Karen Bradbury are two of them.
Albertans across the province have been closely watching the wildfires and devastating situation unfold in Fort McMurray.
Innisfailians Gerald and Karen Bradbury are two of them.
The couple, who moved to Innisfail from Fort McMurray last fall, were forced to rush back to oilsands city on May 3 to make sure Gerald's parents were safely evacuated and brought back to Innisfail.
"We left Innisfail about 10 o'clock last night and we were going to meet my parents coming down (from Fort McMurray)," said Gerald, who also has a son and nieces living in the oilsands city.
They only made it as far as Clyde, 440 kilometres south of Fort McMurray, and had to wait in a parking lot for the arrival of Gerald's parents.
"They got out safely," he said, noting the gridlock on Alberta highways since the evacuation from Fort McMurray late Tuesday afternoon. "It is close to being 20 hours since they left the house in Fort McMurray and they are not even to Grassland yet. On a normal day, it only takes about two and a half hours to get to Grassland."
Bradbury said they are bringing his parents to Innisfail to stay for a few days, or until they are cleared to return to the area.
At this point they know that a few close friends have lost homes but are unsure of the damage or loss for family members.
"My son and my niece just got through Athabasca but my dad and my other niece are up at Wandering River and the fuel truck just pulled in there about 20 minutes ago (around 9:30 a.m. MT). They are finally fuelling up and are leaving there as soon as they can."
The Bradburys, like many other Albertans, are ready to help the people of Fort McMurray.
"We're certainly praying for them all and we'll certainly do what we can from our end here in Innisfail," said Bradbury, a local pastor at the River of Life Church (formerly Parkland Community Church). "We let the town know that the church will be open if anybody needs emergency shelter while travelling through.
"We will certainly step up and help out as much as we can."
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"We're certainly praying for them all and we'll certainly do what we can from our end here in Innisfail."
