With wildfires nearby, these Newfoundlanders living in Fort McMurray are prepared
A fire burns in Teepee Creek in the County of Grande Prairie. (Josh Bourget)
On Friday, residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., received alerts telling them to be ready to evacuate their homes due to wildfires about 16 kilometres southwest of the city.
Alberta Wildfire reported on its website on Saturday that there were about 52 active wildfires that morning, with the fire near the city covering as much as 1,500 hectares.
Bob Groves grew up in Newfoundland and has been living in Fort McMurray for the past 16 years. He says he was at work when he received the alert and immediately called his fiancée to start preparing.
"We just start making calls right away, seeing how everyone is and making sure we come up with a plan immediately," Groves said.
He asked her to fill his truck with gas. But it was an idea that many others had. Most gas stations had 30 to 40 cars lined up.
"It was hectic," he said.
Julie Lodge, another Newfoundlander living in the city, says she keeps an eye on the wildfire through updates and alerts, but she isn't too worried this time compared to eight years ago when a devastating wildfire took the city by surprise.
"People are prepared," she said.
"When this happened in 2016, nobody was prepared. The emergency service weren't prepared, the police weren't prepared."
Back then, she says, her car ran out of gas on the highway when the fire hit the city, and she ended up on the side of the road. This time, she says, authorities alerted people sooner.
On Facebook, some are asking what others are doing, she says. Some people are sending their children to live with relatives in Edmonton just in case.
"There's a lot of PTSD for people in this town," Lodge said. "There were people that when the evacuation happened literally drove through flames to leave town."
Until formal evacuations are announced, she says she will stay in her home with her two sons.
A wildfire burns near Fort McMurray on Friday. (Alberta Wildfire)
'Tight-knit community'
Fort McMurray is a work destination for many from Newfoundland and Labrador. Groves says it is a "tight-knit community."
Following the wildfire alerts, Groves says there has been an outpouring of support on social media from the community. People are even offering places to stay.
"In my personal life there it's been just a bunch of Newfoundlanders just willing to help each other."
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