A pumper truck sprays fire retardant on trees around the evacuated neighbourhood of Beacon Hill in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Alberta wildfire officials were optimistic on Wednesday that cooler temperatures and winds working in their favour could push a massive blaze away from the northern community of Fort McMurray where thousands of people have been forced from their homes – but the situation remained volatile.
The fire was nearing 21,000 hectares, as of Wednesday afternoon, burning about 5.5. kilometres from the Fort McMurray landfill south of the city and 4.5 kilometres from a major highway intersection. The community, marked by chaos a day earlier as motorists choked the only highway that leads out of the city, fell quiet with the remaining residents preparing to leave on a moment’s notice.
Josée St-Onge, a spokesperson for Alberta Wildfire, said the gusting winds that powered massive growth over the previous 24 hours were expected to die down and blow from the northeast on Wednesday, which she said could help drive flames away from residential areas.
“But, obviously, weather can change quickly so we don’t want to make any promises,” she said at a news conference early in the day with officials from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (which includes Fort McMurray).
Thousands forced from their homes as wildfires spread across Western Canada
Ms. St-Onge said, despite some rainfall overnight, fire activity was expected to pick up again when the smoke cleared and the sun came up but stressed many resources were “ready to react.” Nearly 120 firefighters and 21 helicopters have so far been assigned to the wildfire.
Another wildfire is burning north of Fort McMurray and is about three hectares in size. Two firefighting crews, two helicopters and airtankers are currently working to bring that blaze under control.
There are fires burning in several areas in Western Canada, including in neighbouring British Columbia where close to 5,000 people in the Fort Nelson area have been out of their homes since Friday. B.C. officials said, on Wednesday, that strong winds could fan “aggressive fire behaviour” in the area where a wildfire is crackling across 8,400 hectares of land.
Further south, the Doig River First Nation and Peace River Regional District also issued evacuation orders due to a separate fire north of Fort St. John.
In the oilsands community of Fort McMurray, more than 6,000 people living in four neighbourhoods at highest risk remain out of their homes, after being ordered to evacuate on Tuesday. The order, in place for Prairie Creek, Abasand, Beacon Hill and Grayling Terrace, will remain in place until at least next Tuesday, May 21.
About 650 people have so far registered at evacuation centres in Lac La Biche, Edmonton and Cold Lake, according to Fort McMurray region fire chief and director of emergency management, Jody Butz.
While the fires are not near major oil sand sites, one blaze is less than 10 kilometres from the Hangingstone project owned by Athabasca Oil Corp. The company said in an email on Wednesday that there has been no impact to operations at this point, but proactive measures have been undertaken over the past week, such as building fire breaks and clearing trees.
Hangingstone produces more than 9,000 barrels of oil per day, according to the company’s website.
The massive fires in 2016 that still scar Fort McMurray took a significant toll on the energy industry, forcing as much as a quarter of the country’s oil output off-line at the time.
A fire ban to limit the risk of new blazes came into effect in the Fort McMurray and High Level forest areas on Wednesday afternoon, which prohibits all outdoor fires, including charcoal barbeques. Recreational use of off-road vehicles is also being restricted.
Shawn McDonald, who lives about three hours south in Lac La Biche, travelled to Fort McMurray to help evacuees with gas and other supplies, just like he did in 2016. He said it was a “ghost town” on Tuesday evening with buildings and streets emptied.
The remainder of the city is under an evacuation alert and could be forced to leave if the situation worsens. However, Tuesday’s wall of smoke prompted many to leave without an official order to avoid a repeat of the mayhem of the 2016 evacuation. Roughly 90,000 people were displaced because of the wildfire nicknamed “The Beast” that levelled homes and businesses eight years ago.
Fort McMurray Mayor Sandy Bowman said there is lingering trauma among community members but assured residents that everything possible is being done to protect the city and ensure the safe return of evacuated residents. “Stay safe, stay strong and continue to be there for each other,” he said.
Longtime resident Dani Stark, who lives in the northern neighbourhood of Wood Buffalo, said she left Tuesday as a precautionary measure. She said it took nine hours to get her family – including a newborn baby – north of the fires in 2016 before eventually evacuating south to Onoway in central Alberta.
She didn’t want to struggle on the roadways again.
“You could see the big plume of smoke south of town, but just the way it kind of hung over the sky, it just was so reminiscent of 2016,” she said. “It brings up a lot of emotions and you think that you’re ok and then you see these things again.”
Ms. Stark is back with her family in Onoway while they wait for the situation to “calm down,” but said she expects they will head back to Fort McMurray this weekend. Despite the lingering trauma, Ms. Stark said she is optimistic the situation will improve.
Kyle Campbell, who lives in a community on the north side of the Athabasca River, is among those packed and ready to retreat. “I’m gassed up,” he said on Wednesday. His all-terrain toys – a quad and side-by-side – were loaded on a trailer hooked to his truck in his driveway and he had packed sentimental items, like hockey jerseys from his younger days.
Mr. Butz said this fire is different from the inferno in 2016 because it is burning through that fire’s wreckage, limiting its fuel sources. He said, on Wednesday, that he has a “high level of confidence” in their ability to fight the current fire.
“I approach this with the mindset that I don’t plan on losing any power to our residences,” he said. “And I also don’t plan on losing any garden sheds. I’m very confident in our resources.”
Nearby wildfire brings back painful memories for Fort McMurray
When it became clear where this year’s fires were burning, ATCO crews went out and wrapped power poles in fire-retardant mesh, the company’s chief executive officer, Nancy Southern, told reporters Wednesday.
The Calgary-based company is trying to minimize damage to all of its electricity installations in the region, with crews in touch with first responders in the emergency operation centres and working on various fire mitigation measures, she said.
Christie Tucker, another spokesperson for Alberta Wildfire, said less than one millimetre of rain fell overnight Wednesday as night-vision helicopters dumped water on the blaze and firefighters on the ground worked to snuff out hot spots.
“Firefighters will be back on the line today and will continue to work to stop the spread of fire,” she said at a separate news conference on Wednesday alongside provincial officials. “Helicopters and air tankers are going to be dropping water and retardant on the active edges of the fire and heavy equipment operators are building fire guards to the southwest.”
Premier Danielle Smith acknowledged the fear and uncertainty being felt by residents in Fort McMurray and offered her sympathy to those affected.
“All of Alberta stands with you,” she said. “This evacuation is a stark reminder that our province lives alongside the threat of wildfires and other natural disasters. Let me assure you our government will have Alberta’s back whenever disaster strikes.”
Forestry Minister Todd Loewen noted that mental health resources are available through Alberta Health Services.
Steve Reeve, a long-time Fort McMurray resident, said he feels better prepared for an evacuation than he did eight years ago, but said fires are a “very prevalent fear” and source of anxiety for people in the area, especially those who witnessed the destruction in 2016.
“There’s definitely the replay factor where I’m thinking about some of the worst of it and the imagery and seeing the flames back years ago,” said Mr. Reeve. He said smoke and fire levels are not like they were last time but that his family has made plans to stay with friends in Edmonton if ordered to leave.
Mr. Reeve said fireproofing measures aren’t needed for his downtown apartment, but he said residents with homes closer to the fire are using sprinklers to keep their properties damp. He said community members are pitching in and helping each other prepare.
“It’s amazing to see how people are already coming together,” he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
Firefighters in western Canada are battling the first major wildfires of 2024 after unseasonably warm temperatures and an ongoing drought have left forests tinder-dry.
Reuters