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A devastating forest fire in northern Alberta has destroyed over 1600 homes and buildings, and forced the entire population of Fort McMurray to evacuate.
“We watched the clouds roll in. It was just the white fire smoke in the distance, nothing big, in 20 minutes the sky was filled and you could sense the panic at work that things were bad.”
Jodi Blanche Hinkson left work at the RCMP detachment yesterday afternoon, and grabbed her kids at school before the mandatory evacuation. Her husband met her at home.
“We packed up a few things, and spent over an hour just trying to make it the highway.”
“The sights and the smell are something you will never forget. Take any apocalypse movie and that is exactly what it is like, driving ahead and not being able to see five feet ahead of your car.”
This is the largest evacuation in the history of Alberta. 88 000 people fled the burning city.
“I literally drove out of flames and had ashes hitting my face as I was going. I had to split the line the heat from the fire was that bad.” said one motorist.
“It is what it is. We have to wait and see what happens and wait for the best. If it’s gone it’s gone. Things are replaceable but people and animals aren’t”
As for Jodi and her family, they made it Edmonton but they have no idea if they’ll have a home to return to.
The images on Facebook, social media, the news, it guts you every time you see an area you took your kids to, shopped in, a friends home. There’s no words. No words.”
