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 approached 500,000 hectares in size and expanded 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.
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.
