Fort McMurray evacuees moved again due to raging wildfire

ANZAC, AB. (NEWS 1130) – The ever-changing situation in Fort McMurray is fraying nerves and has forced some evacuees to grab their belongings and move yet again from temporary shelters now being threatened by a spreading wildfire.

Many exasperated, very tired people were put on buses bound for Edmonton in the wee hours this morning after the communities of Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and the Fort McMurray First Nation were ordered evacuated late yesterday.

The regional emergency operations centre had just relocated to Anzac from the Fort McMurray airport and is now moving even further south to Lac La Biche.

LISTEN: NEWS 1130’s Ian Campbell in Edmonton speaking with anchors Reaon Ford and Tanya Fletcher

 

There is some good news — the water treatment plant in Fort McMurray was saved, the downtown core was being held and there are still no reports of injuries — but the fire has already forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and torched 16-hundred homes and other buildings.

As the fire carved through more of Fort McMurray it also forced one of the helicopter companies performing evacuations and other firefighting duties to abandon the city’s airport.

“Everybody had to run. Nine out of our 10 helicopters were pushed out and flown south of town. The ones that weren’t working were moved to a safe distance and then we had to move again as the fire moved closer and closer to us,” says Paul Spring, a pilot with Phoenix Heli-Flight, which had also been sheltering some evacuees at its hangar Tuesday night.

The company is now at a temporary base about 100 kilometres south of Fort McMurray and Spring says the emergency command structure has been facing challenges with power outages, difficulties communicating and no air traffic control.

“We had nobody to talk to so all the pilots just said we are on our own and let’s try not to hit each other,” he adds.

Phoenix Heli-Flight has pulled dozens of people from areas cut off by the wildfire but some people have been choosing to stay by their homes until the last possible moment.

“Some of the people in Draper down the Clearwater River were cut off yesterday. We moved out about 15 people but a few chose to stay. The fire came at them again so we got the last people desperately calling asking us to come get them.”

But even then, Spring explains not everyone chooses an air rescue. “We were offering services with our helicopters sitting in a staging area and [one woman] had seven dogs, some family members and a duck. She said she was going to launch her boat and take her chances in the river.”

Spring says it is an emotional time for everyone involved — his original home in Fort McMurray has been destroyed along with houses belonging to many of his friends. “It helps that I’ve been doing this sort of thing for so long, but then you see the toll it’s taking on other people who aren’t used to medivac and fire and emergencies. It’s just devastating them.”

LISTEN: Paul Spring speak to NEWS 1130’s Stephanie Froese

 

The Fort McMurray wildfire has now forced more than 80,000 people out of their homes and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government of Canada will match all donations to the Red Cross to assist people displaced by the wildfires in Fort McMurray.

Rogers is giving free long distance/texting to Fort McMurray until May 17 and we are partnering with the Red Cross. If you would like to donate $10, text the word FIRES to 45678.

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