While Fort McMurray evacuees could soon start returning home, firefighters and oilsands employees were evacuated last week from an expanding wildfire that destroyed one work camp and threatened several others.
Premier Rachel Notley announced on May 18 that a phased, multi-day re-entry plan for the 88,000 Fort McMurray citizens could begin on June 1. But she cautioned the plan was dependent on whether threats from the wildfire still existed, which late last week spread to more than 500,000 hectares in size and jumped across the border into Saskatchewan. The premier added the return of evacuees also depended on air quality and whether there was functional traffic controls.
Her announcement came two days after 8,000 oilsands workers north of Fort McMurray were evacuated when increasing winds and high temperatures caused the rapidly advancing wildfire – nicknamed the “beast” – to come within 15 kilometres of oilsands facilities, and destroyed the Blacksand Executive Lodge, a 665-unit oilsands housing complex.
Donnie Leggette, a 31-year-old oilsands worker who was born and raised in Innisfail, was pulled from his scaffolder shift at the Suncor plant on May 16 – just one day after arriving north to start a new work rotation. He was told his Noralta camp, 20 kilometres northwest of Fort McMurray and housing more than 2,000 workers, was being evacuated.
“We were supposed to be bused out there to grab our bags and whatever we had and moved up to another camp further north, but by the time we were heading out the police had already cut off any access to that camp. They figured the fire was too close,” said Leggette, who now lives near Sundre.
He said all workers were then sent up to another facility further north. They were forced to abandon all their belongings at their fire-threatened camp.
“We just had whatever we had with us at work. We spent the night at the other camp and the next day they bused us all out to the Firebag Airport and flew guys to either Calgary or Edmonton,” said the scaffolder.
The out of control blaze also forced Innisfail-area firefighters with OP Fire & Safety to evacuate their camp north of Fort McMurray and move into new quarters inside a municipal fire hall.
“It's getting worse,” said Glen Carritt, company owner and operations manager on May 18 about his four firefighters' ordeal north of Fort McMurray. “The camp near where we were staying got burnt down, so our guys had to move to another spot because all the camps were threatened and they got evacuated from there.”
Despite the change in accommodations, the firefighters, who have been up north since May 11 battling the blaze, have not stopped working, said Carritt.
“They are going around putting out hot spots, and doing fire breaks to make sure the fire does not expand any further. The trouble is that it is expanding like crazy,” said Carritt, adding he will be changing crews this week.
In the meantime, Leggette arrived safely at the Calgary International Airport on May 17 and was picked up by his mother Linda.
“He looked dirty and smoky because he had spent two days in those clothes. He came home with nothing but the clothes on his back,” said Linda, who is an Innisfail-area resident.
Donnie said he learned after coming home his Noralta work camp was not damaged by the wildfire threat, and hopes to go back to work soon, and to retrieve his clothes, cellphone and wallet, the latter containing all his personal identification.
“I am feeling some financial stress because I am not working,” said Donnie, who was also turned around from the start of a work rotation on May 3, when the entire population of Fort McMurray was evacuated. “I am hoping to get back to work soon. I wouldn't quite call it hardship yet, but it could be if it lasts much longer.
