Alberta Wildfire Operations Section Chief Derek Gough, Incident Commander Gavin Hojka and Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Incident Commander Darren Clarke discuss firefighting strategy during a media tour of the incident command post two days after a wildfire caused the evacuation of communities on the southern edge of Fort McMurray, Alta., on May 16.Jesse Winter/Reuters
A wildfire burning outside the Northern Alberta community of Fort McMurray is holding steady, officials said Friday, expressing optimism that residents evacuated from four of the city’s neighbourhoods will soon be able to return home.
The wildfire remains nearly 20,000 hectares in size, but officials said persistent rain will continue to subdue the flames and allow firefighters to make progress on a containment line. The fire remains 5.5 kilometres from the landfill south of the city and 4.5 kilometres from the intersection of two major highways out of the area. On Friday afternoon, Alberta Wildfire listed the fire risk as “low.”
Jody Butz, Fort McMurray region fire chief and director of emergency management, told a news conference Friday that RCMP officers patrolled affected communities to document any damage, but found none.
“When you return home, your neighbourhoods will look exactly the same,” Mr. Butz said.
The news was a welcome change as wildfire season emerged in full force this week, with fires burning across Western Canada and many Fort McMurray residents fearing a repeat of the devastation from 2016. Around 6,600 people were forced from their homes on Tuesday.
Godelive Niya Ohelo owns The Lunchbox, a local food truck. She prefers sunny days, but Friday’s drizzly skies brought her joy.
“It is like dancing in the rain,” she said. “I’m glad that the rain is there to keep the fire away.”
She was in Fort McMurray for the 2016 crisis, which gave her flashbacks to living through, and escaping from, the civil war in the Congo. The helicopters overhead, the influx of police on the ground, the Red Cross at evacuation centres, stirred up memories of her previous life. But since then, she has developed better coping skills.
“In order to heal, I have to face my fear,” she said.
Edin Pensamiento was also in Fort McMurray eight years ago. The cooler temperatures and rainy days have calmed his nerves. “I feel safer,” he said during a stroll along the Clearwater River. “Even the smell – it doesn’t smell like fire now.”
Josée St-Onge, spokesperson for Alberta Wildfire, said while rain will “bring fire behaviour down,” lack of road access means helicopters must fly fire crews to the front lines. Rain and cloud cover hampers visibility and can delay or prevent crews from accessing a fire, she added.
Fort McMurray Mayor Sandy Bowman said he’s hopeful better weather will result in “sustained and serious progress” over the weekend, while reminding residents they’re not home free yet.
“While cloudy and rainy skies are definitely a good thing, we need to remember that this wildfire is still out of control,” he said.
Reiterating her warnings from earlier in the week, Ms. St-Onge agreed there is still work to do, explaining how creeping fire and hot spots remain an issue long after the flames disappear.
“This fire could burn for weeks – even months – before being considered extinguished,” she said.
Officials also eased concerns about the fire’s proximity to the nearby landfill, saying they do not expect the fire to spread.
Ms. St-Onge explained there is “no immediate threat” to the landfill. Mr. Butz added there are “lots of contingency plans” if anything changes. “We’re confident if the fire encroaches we could support the area with structural protections if need be,” he said.