Thousands of pets left behind as people escape Fort McMurray
Posted May 6, 2016 6:42 am.
Last Updated May 6, 2016 6:43 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FORT MCMURRAY, AB. (NEWS 1130) – Thousands of people continue to flee the area around Fort McMurray and for many, the hasty escape means many were forced to leave the family cat or dog behind. But you may be surprised by the ingenuity of many pets in these situations.
“They’re vulnerable in the same way that we are. They’re low to the ground which can keep them away from the heat a bit more but the animals just as susceptible to that (toxic smoke) as we are,” admits Vancouver Fire and Rescue Captain Jonathan Gormick.
But he says pets have great survival instincts in a fire. “Pets are extremely resilient in fires. They manage to find safe places to hide in the house that you and I probably wouldn’t think of. They find places away from the heat, places away from the smoke or ways to quickly get out of the house and away from the fire.”
They’ll likely head for the basement if they can’t get outside. “Quite often we find them somewhere cool like down in the basement if it’s been an upper floor fire. Or they’ve found their way into a closet or down in a corner and somehow been protected from the heat and toxic gasses.”
Gormick doesn’t advocate letting your pet run free in a situation like the one in Fort McMurray. However, he urges any pet owners to plan ahead as you would for yourself, and have food, crates or medicine ready to grab in the event of an emergency like a fire or earthquake.
