FMCA_2017-1_P2

A t day three, small pockets of additional help began to arrive from the south, but the fire pushed on threatening more areas of the city. The REOC itself was in danger, forcing the group to move from Fire Hall #5 to Nexen’s industrial facility further south. They regrouped in the facility’s large conference room, but since there was only one access road to the plant, essentially trapping the group if the fire spread, REOC uprooted itself for a second time and ended up in Lac La Biche. o M eanwhile up north, oil and energy industry members were caring for the 25,000 people forced into their camps; some would stay for up to three nights before being able to leave the area. Two days in, Suncor called upon their partnership with WestJet to provide planes. Several of the oilsands companies that operate out of the Fort McMurray area have private airstrips capable of handling commercial jet aircraft. Esler said it was like a well-oiled assembly line. Four or five planes would be waiting on the taxi apron. Then, buses full of people, pets and luggage would pull up on the airstrip, unload and get on the plane. The next bus would pull up and unload until the aircraft was full. The plane would take off and people would board the next one in line. He mused slightly at the memory of the exotic nature of some of the planes’ inhabitants. While media showed images of family dogs riding in first class, Esler said he heard of everything from lizards to tarantulas making their escape south on WestJet. o W ith the fire threat to the REOC subsiding, Loy travelled back to Fire Hall #5. He said the south end of the city looked like a scene from The Walking Dead — bushes still smouldering, while abandoned cars littered the side of the road. As the REOC group gaped at what they saw, they knew there was no time for despair. They had to continue on and work together, or there would be no homes to return to. Loy recalls many of the REOC group and firefighters on the ground had a front row seat to the destruction of homes — friends’, family’s and possibly their own. One event in particular saw a firefighter losing the battle to save his twin brother’s house — but everyone just had to push on. Some relief came with the arrival of Canada Task Force 2 (Can-TF2), which swiftly provided much needed relief at the REOC and set up a unified command of the regional emergency operations centre. Loy said the team’s arrival was a blessing. The local REOC group had been working three to four days and