Wildfires have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes in Fort McMurray, Alta.
Some have lost all their belongings in the massive blaze. Here are some of the ways to help those affected:
RED CROSS: The Canadian Red Cross is accepting monetary donations through their website (redcross.ca). A $5 donation can also be made by texting REDCROSS to 30333.
SALVATION ARMY: The Salvation Army is collecting monetary donations online (https://secure.salvationarmy.ca/registrant/donate.aspx?eventid=197650). It says it will provide food, clothing and shelter, among its emergency services.
SAMARITAN'S PURSE: The Samaritan's Purse says it is assembling a team that will head to Fort McMurray to provide physical and emotional help once the evacuation order on the city is lifted. It is accepting monetary donations through its website (http://samaritanspurse.ca)
WOOD BUFFALO FOOD BANK: The Wood Buffalo Food Bank, which serves the regional municipality that includes Fort McMurray, is taking PayPal donations through its website. (woodbuffalofoodbank.com)
AIRBNB: Airbnb has activated its Disaster Response Tool, encouraging its host community around Edmonton to help displaced residents with free housing. The tool, on offer until May 21, allows existing hosts and local residents with extra space to host people through Airbnb for free.
FORT MCMURRAY SPCA: The Fort McMurray SPCA is working with partners and local authorities to reunite displaced residents with pets they were forced to leave behind. It is accepting monetary donations online (http://fortmcmurrayspca.ca/index.php?area_id=1024&page_id=1133)
FORT MCMURRAY RESIDENTS FACE SERIOUS CHALLENGES IN MONTHS, YEARS AHEAD
A social scientist who has studied the aftermath of four major fires in Western Canada says residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., face a difficult journey in the months and years ahead.
University of Lethbridge professor Judith Kulig says those affected by a devastating wildfire in the northern Alberta city will run the gamut of emotions from shock to elation to crippling anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder.
About 1,600 homes and other buildings have been burned to the ground in Fort McMurray, forcing tens of thousands to flee to nearby communities in what officials have called the biggest fire evacuation in the province's history.
Kulig, whose research includes the fire that ripped through Slave Lake, Alta., in 2011, says children in that community struggled in the classroom because of anxiety that went unnoticed at home.
She also says that the traumatic events will likely exacerbate pre-existing problems such as substance abuse and domestic violence.
However, Kulig says her research shows the human spirit is resilient despite the problems residents will face in the aftermath of the fire.
'ALBERTANS ARE HELPING ALBERTANS:' PEOPLE RUSH TO AID FIRE EVACUEES
EDMONTON — When Char Kaye saw fire ravaging Fort McMurray on the news — from the safety and comfort of her home near Edmonton, she told herself she had to do something to help.
She bought deodorant and toothbrushes, packed up toys and blankets, then took to social media and offered up her home to strangers.
"The hand that feeds us is the oil industry and I know Fort McMurray plays a gigantic part in the economy," Kaye said Wednesday from her house in Spruce Grove.
"They need everything they can get and watching it literally go up in flames is just devastating."
People have been opening their homes, cupboards and wallets for fire evacuees from Fort McMurray since the city's 80,000 residents were told to flee Tuesday.
Social media is rife with offers of free meals, tire repairs, pet food and even graduation gowns for high school students who have lost theirs in the fire.
Some fitness centres are letting evacuees use their showers. U-Haul has offered of a month of storage and boxes. Labatt Breweries says it will donate 69,000 cans of drinking water, and has 131,000 more at the ready if needed.
The Red Cross says it's ramping up its call centre to deal with a flood of monetary donations, which includes money from companies such as Shaw Communications, Canadian National and Manulife.
On Wednesday, the government of Alberta announced it will match donations to the Red Cross in support of the people of Fort McMurray, as well as provide $2 million in seed money to kickstart operations.
“We know Albertans are stepping up to help the people of Fort McMurray; that’s what Albertans do when people are in need," said Premier Rachel Notley.
"The most effective thing people can do right now is make donations to the Red Cross, knowing our government will match those funds.”
The Edmonton Food Bank is also preparing to send shipments north.
"It's pretty heart-warming," says Candace Fabian, choking back tears.
On Tuesday night, Fabian opened her home in Fort MacKay, north of Fort McMurray, to about 20 relatives and their friends — and their 11 dogs and two cats. They slept in spare bedrooms and on blow-up mattresses on the floor.
She lent one of her vehicles Wednesday to a cousin, and about half her guests moved on to other homes.
Fabian says she's glad to help and everyone has been thankful.
"I'm just happy that everyone's safe," she says. "They have a roof over their heads and they have food."
Thousands are staying in evacuation centres and northern work camps. But many people have listed their homes and spare rooms on social media, along with their outdoor space for evacuees who want to set up camp.
Some facilities, including the Green Dome mosque in Calgary, have also opened the doors and offered shelter for however long they might need.
"We've heard so many stories of the ways that Albertans are helping Albertans," said Notley.
"Our province is strong and we will get through this."
Mike Ryan and several friends from the Edmonton area loaded their pickups with jerry cans and larger slip tanks full of fuel to help evacuees who ran out and became stranded on the side of Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray.
The group is part of a Facebook club of truck enthusiasts called Western Canadian Support Rig, who normally help drivers in need of a boost or tow in exchange for donations for charity. When they heard about the fire, they quickly got on the road.
"We drove all night," Ryan said, adding his convoy has so far helped dozens of people, including two pregnant women in a car that had run empty.
"We were able to talk 'em down, get 'em calmed down, get 'em back on the road."
Zakk Baltgailis, a heavy equipment technician at United Rentals in Fort Saskatchewan, said his company sent two fuel tankers with a group of other volunteers in pickups packed with fuel, bottled water, diapers, apples and granola bars.
The company has 180 employees in Fort McMurray, and at least 14 of them have lost their homes. Baltgailis said it wanted to help, along with everyone else.
"It shows that we're Canadians and we're a community. And in times of these events and disasters, we can all team together."
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO MATCH RED CROSS DONATIONS FOR FORT MCMURRAY FIRE
OTTAWA — The government of Canada will match all donations to the Red Cross to assist people displaced by the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced.
The House of Commons played host Thursday to a series of extraordinary statements by leaders about the devastating fire, which is in its third day and has forced the evacuation of nearly 90,000 people in northern Alberta.
Trudeau said the scale of the fire's destruction has not yet been fully assessed but called it "far-reaching and utterly devastating."
"To see the pictures out of Fort McMurray right now that could be taken in a war-torn corner of the world instead of our own backyard is a reminder of how Canadians will and must stand together with our friends and neighbours in this difficult time," Trudeau said in the packed Commons.
The government operations centre is co-ordinating the federal response and monitoring the situation around the clock, he said.
A number of federal departments have been pressed into service, including National Defence, Health Canada, Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Natural Resources Canada and the RCMP.
Trudeau said four Griffon helicopters and one Hercules aircraft have been deployed by the Royal Canadian Air Force, with further air support on standby.
Disaster assistance funds will also be coming, in addition to the government's matching Red Cross donations.
"We will weather this storm together, and together we will rebuild," said Trudeau.
"I want to assure the people of Alberta we are doing everything we can to help."
The government of Alberta has declared a state of emergency in a bid to galvanize the country's relief efforts. Alberta is also matching Red Cross donations up to a cap of $2 million.
Rona Ambrose, the interim leader of the Conservative party, says the citizens of Fort McMurray come from across Canada and have built a thriving resource community that now needs the support of the whole country.
She paid tribute to all the Atlantic Canadians who have made lives in Fort Mac, "which gives us hope and faith that the city of Fort McMurray will rise again."
Ambrose said people around the world are watching the images and that Fort McMurray's residents have faced "literally hell on the Earth in the last couple of days."
She said the city grew from nothing and became "the economic engine of this country."
Ambrose noted that Brian Jean, the leader of the opposition Wild Rose party in Alberta, lost his Fort McMurray home "but in the very typical Alberta spirit, he said it's just 'stuff' and we'll carry on and rebuild."
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair called the stoic response of Fort McMurray citizens reassuring, praised the "strength of character" of Albertans and called it "profoundly Canadian" to band together in a disaster. He noted Bombardier water bombers from Quebec are on their way to the fire.
"Everybody in Canada understands and feels for the people of Fort McMurray today," said Mulcair. "This House should rise as one and provide all the support and help they need."
Green party Leader Elizabeth May said the images coming out of the region are heartbreaking.
"We are one country and we love Fort McMurray," said May.
SITUATION REMAINS VOLATILE FOR RESIDENTS, FIRST RESPONDERS IN FORT MCMURRAY
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — An ever-changing, volatile situation is fraying the nerves of residents and officials alike as a massive wildfire continues to bear down on the Fort McMurray area of northern Alberta.
In the wee hours this morning, weary evacuees from Fort McMurray were sitting on buses headed for Edmonton after being forced out of their temporary shelter in nearby Anzac.
They had arrived there late Tuesday after being evacuated from their homes in Fort McMurray. By Wednesday morning, the Anzac recreational centre was a bustling hub filled with people, tables of food and rows of cots.
By that evening, it was eerily silent and empty.
Officials with the Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo had been notified of changing weather patterns and weren't taking chances, ordering the evacuation of Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation.
Anzac resident Bree Baumberger said her family was surprised when RCMP told them of the evacuation order Wednesday night.
"They told us to get out — it is a safety issue," she said. "They just want people to have enough time and not be like Fort McMurray where all of a sudden the fire is on you."
In another part of the community an RCMP cruiser rolled into Travis Vickrey's yard.
"Aren't you aware of the evacuation order? It's mandatory right now," the Mountie said. "The fire is coming south."
Vickrey was annoyed at the short notice as he quickly packed three cats and other belongings into the family's vehicle. They were heading to nearby Lac la Biche.
Regional Mayor Melissa Blake urged "more patience in northern camps" as the move became a necessity. "No need for panic, just steady progress."
But as the province declared a state of emergency Wednesday, it was clear the situation that had forced the evacuation of 80,000 people was "unstable," as Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management told reporters.
The wildfires that had already torched 1,600 homes and other buildings in Fort McMurray continued to do damage throughout the day. Reports of homes being burned mounted, while officials advised a new school being built in one neighbourhood had been destroyed.
Residents anxious for updates on their own neighbourhoods turned to social media, prompting the writer of the municipality's official Twitter feed to issue a plea: "I'm providing as much details as I can re: fire/neighbourhood/street ... please be patient, we're doing our absolute best."
There was good news — the water treatment plant was saved, and Long said the downtown core was being held "through some Herculean efforts" of firefighters. Most importantly, there was still no indication of injury or death.
But the images being seen around the world were largely ones of devastation — scorched trucks, charred homes and telephone poles, burned out from the bottom up, hanging in the wires like little wooden crosses.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley flew up to survey the situation first-hand, and tweeted "heartbreaking" pictures of the fire from above. As high as her helicopter was, she said the plumes of smoke reached even higher.
"So far, I'd have to say people have been amazing," she said in the evening, after a visit with evacuees at a giant Edmonton sports arena.
"They've been incredibly patient. They've followed what they've been asked to do. They're focusing on taking care of each other, their families, their neighbours."
Blake agreed her city is strong and gave a shout-out to Slave Lake, another northern Alberta community devastated by wildfires in 2011.
"We will hope to follow in the shadow of Slave Lake in our perseverance and resolve," declared the mayor. "And as we look to the future, this is still a place of incredible strength, resiliency and vibrancy."
FIRE CREWS FIGHT TO PREVENT SPREAD OF EMBERS AS WINDS EXPECTED TO MOVE IN
Jamie Coutts' harrowing experiences in Alberta five years ago are serving him well as he helps battle wildfires that have devastated entire neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray.
The fire chief from Slave Lake, about 250 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, fought so-called "wildland-urban interface" blazes as they ravaged his community in 2011.
They start in the bush before spreading into populated areas, requiring a particular approach if they are to be extinguished.
Coutts' 10-person fire crew spent much of Wednesday protecting homes, buildings and other critical infrastructure in Fort McMurray by clearing grass and trees away from houses adjacent to the devastation zone.
He said it's critical to douse charred homes and structures, known as "hot spots," in order to ensure embers don't get pushed by the wind into houses initially saved from the flames.
"We came in (Tuesday) before the fire blew out of control," Coutts said in an interview Wednesday during a short break from battling the blaze.
"We brought a sprinkler trailer from (Slave Lake) and we just happened to be here when things got tough, so they asked us to stay."
As wildfires move from isolated forests into communities, everything changes.
In the forest, a fire is fed by trees, grass and undergrowth. When the flames reach an urban centre they are instead fuelled by cars, homes, decks and fences, which are far more toxic and catch fire more quickly.
Rick Swan, director for wildlands firefighting at the International Association of Firefighters, said one leading cause of urban fires spreading out of control is that one structure often provides the spark for another to go up in flames — a process that is then repeated over and over.
"There is a lot more heat and energy available in a small (urban) square foot (than in the forest) and you have to put out a lot of embers and that's going to cause you the most problems," he said in an interview.
As wildfires move through urban centres, firefighters need to conduct what he said were "mop-and-patrol" operations to ensure burned-out homes don't destroy "safe" structures.
"The embers sit and seep and you can come back a couple of hours later and three houses that were safe on a block are now up in flames," Swan said.
About 1,600 structures in the evacuated oil hub of Fort McMurray have already been torched.
Aside from dousing hot spots and clearing away flammable material from untouched homes, firefighters will clear strips of forest surrounding buildings to lessen the available fuel for the fire as it approaches.
Firefighters will also set up sprinkler systems around homes to moisten the land in order to prevent the structure from catching fire.
Sometimes blazes are so strong during the day that firefighters need to wait until evening and nighttime to make up for lost ground, when the air is filled with more water and there is less sun and wind.
But the paradox is that while nighttime presents better conditions for fighting fire, it's also more dangerous.
"What happens is your boot goes into an ash pit two-feet deep and you get burned," Coutts said. "Or a tree falls on you because you can't see."
And although the flames weren't as strong Wednesday as they were a day before, Coutts hesitated before saying things were getting better.
"It's never out until it's out," he said.
FORT MCMURRAY FIRE CHIEF DARBY ALLEN THE HUMAN FACE OF WILDFIRE FIGHT
If the fight to save Fort McMurray from wildfires has a human face, it's that of veteran fire Chief Darby Allen.
Many Canadians have taken to Twitter this week calling Allen a "hero" for his efforts in battling the fire that has destroyed parts of the Albertan community and caused tens of thousands to evacuate their homes.
The raging blaze has obviously taken an emotional toll on the Fort McMurray fire chief.
He appeared to fight back tears as he haltingly told a Wednesday news conference that 88,000 people had been successfully evacuated.
"No one is hurt, and no one has passed away right now," he said. "I really hope we get to the end of this and we can still say that.
"We are here, and we are strong and we will keep doing our job."
According to fellow fire Chief Rob Evans, his friend is in a situation nobody wants to be in.
"I wish I could be there to help him," said Evans, who runs Redwood Meadows Emergency Services, west of Calgary. "He's doing a great job from everything I can see on TV but he looks tired."
But Evans said Allen, who has spent much of his career training other firefighters, is ideally suited to sharing knowledge about blazes.
The two have known each other for 20 years, beginning when Allen was a training officer with the Calgary Fire Department.
"The knowledge he's able to share and brings to the table is just outstanding," said Evans. "It's really one of his best attributes."
According to local media outlet Fort McMurray Today, Allen joined the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo's fire service in 2009 and was officially named chief in January 2013.
Prior to serving with the municipality, Allen worked for the Calgary Fire Department between 1992 and 2007.
There he held various posts as a firefighter, training officer and assistant deputy chief of operations.
It is as a training officer that Allen truly excelled, according to Evans, who called him a "great mentor."
"Training was definitely one of his strengths and one of his passions," he said.
In a 2013 article, Allen is described as a father of two and a native of Birmingham, England, who moved to Canada in 1990.
His LinkedIn profile says he graduated from a high school near Birmingham in 1973.
In England, he spent several years with the Hampshire Fire Brigade.
One representative from that fire service remembered him in a tweet on Wednesday, which was also International Firefighters Day.
"Our thoughts on #IFFD are with Chief Darby Allen ex-Hampshire firefighter now tackling the fire of his career," tweeted Jason Avery, area manager with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Evans said it's impossible for fire chiefs not to be personally affected by the blazes that strike their communities.
"You see your residents losing their homes, and that kind of thing," he said.
"It hurts, it really hurts, especially when you love your community, and when you do the job that we do, you have to love your community."
A PARTIAL TEXT OF JUSTIN TRUDEAU'S STATEMENT THURSDAY ON ALBERTA WILDFIRE
OTTAWA — Here is a partial text of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement Thursday in the House of Commons on the Alberta wildfire disaster:
It is with a heavy heart that all Canadians have watched the devastation unfold over the last few days. Over 80,000 residents have been evacuated in the largest fire evacuation in Alberta's history. Homes have been destroyed, neighbourhoods have gone up in flames. The footage we have seen of cars racing down highways while fire rages on all sides is nothing sort of terrifying.
I know I speak for all members of this House, and 36 million Canadians, when I say that our hearts go out to all affected families. We are thinking of and praying for the people of Fort McMurray.
Though Alberta's loss is profound, we will get through this tragedy together, as friends, as neighbours, as Canadians. The people of Fort McMurray can count upon the full support of this government. We will weather this storm together — and together, we will rebuild.
While it too soon to comprehend the full extent of the damage, we know that it is far-reaching and utterly devastating.
I have spoken with Premier (Rachel) Notley and our orders of government are in close contact as we monitor the situation every step of the way.
I want to assure the people of Alberta that we are doing everything we can to help. ...
The people at the government operations centre know what they are doing and do their job well. They have been in communication with various partners on how to properly address this crisis; partners like Natural Resources Canada, Health Canada, National Defence, Indigenous and Northern Affairs, the RCMP, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and emergency management organizations like the Canadian Red Cross.
In addition, the people of Fort McMurray have the support of the Canadian Armed Forces. ...
Currently, the RCAF is deploying four CH-146 Griffin helicopters to Fort McMurray and one CC-130J Hercules to CFB Cold Lake.
The RCAF is ready to provide support to the province of Alberta in the provision of air assets, to assist with evacuation efforts, deliver essential aid to affected regions and transport firefighting personnel and equipment to these regions.
In addition to the efforts of our Forces, as well as the GOC's co-ordination of information, supplies, and services for response and recovery activity, we are announcing further help for the people of Alberta.
Today, I am pleased to announce that in addition to the government of Canada providing future assistance through the disaster financial assistance arrangement, the government will also be matching individual charitable donations made to the Canadian Red Cross, in support of this effort.
The outpouring of goodwill and compassion from Canadians right across the country has not only been inspirational, it has been entirely characteristic of who we are and the fundamental human values we share as Canadians. ...
Personally, I was in Fort McMurray four or five times over the past few years. Because one of those instances was a few visits for a byelection, I got to do a lot of door-to-door visits. I met with a number of homeowners, people who were rightly proud of the homes they had built in that beautiful town.
To think now of the number of doors and homes that I knocked on and visited — that all of us as politicians visit regularly — and to see the pictures out of Fort McMurray right now that could have been taken in a war-torn corner of the world instead of our own backyard, is a reminder of how Canadians will and must stand together to support our friends and neighbours in this difficult time.
To those people who are displaced, please remember we are resilient, we are Canadians, and we will make it through this most difficult time together.
