The Fort McMurray Fire
Jolie (2016) suggests that unusually dry conditions and hot weather have gripped the northern Canada region. The inferno grew from a 3,000- acre blaze engulfing Fort McMurray town to an area estimated to be 210,000 acres. With regards to Alberta’s history, this fire disaster triggered the largest evacuation. People to the tune of tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes, all wondering whether they would ever return to anything at all. According to Jolie (2016), an evacuation of 88,000 persons was sparked while regarding the production of crude oil the country, around 15 percent of it was shut down. The inferno gave a vivid picture of what emergency managers and the firefighters could expect to deal with at a new time of wildfires that are climate-induced.
Action Plan
Plan of Action
The possible cause of the fire was a strike of lightening, which began in an area north of Fort McMurray. The flames were pushed by shifting winds towards the town. The authorities issued an action plan immediately; the entire population was given an evacuation order. The primary focus of the response was to ensure that everyone was safe. Jolie (2016) notes that the affected population was quite large, approximately 88,000 persons. The massively damaged sections included Abasand, Beacon Hill, and Waterways. It was so bad that the residents were left with no hopes of any return. Therefore, it suffices to say that residents who fled their homes, if they ever returned, they would come to not only a rather exhausting and much gritty work, but also mere ash and soot.
Emergency Operation Center
Emergency Management Centers have a responsibility to offer coordinated responses in case of emergency cases. Usually, their services focus on protection of life, the environment, and property. In the case of the Fort McMurray Fire, primary and secondary locations to where the evacuees set camp included homes of hospitable persons in safe regions around McMurray, force fields of oil sand operations, and even the parking grounds for trailers in the area. The residents fled along Highway 63, rushing out of town and set camp in these regions (Jolie, 2016).
Communication Plans
The communication plan included a hotline specifically for emergency management. During the emergency situation, it was updated with information regarding the disaster. Local and international radio and television stations were tuned in while social media flooded with information on the case. Across the country, politicians and even the Queen herself gave their thoughts on the inferno, consoled with victims, and assured their support in whatever capacity.
Affected Population
Jolie (2016) highlights that the sweeping inferno sparked the evacuation of 88,000 individuals. She describes the situation as hair-raising. Regardless, every person affected was safely evacuated, and fire-related injuries were minimal. Approximately 25,000 individuals that had been temporarily lodged at the work camps of oil sands were re-evacuated to the far north of the city. However, during the evacuation process, two people lost their lives in a car crash, as reported by emergency officials.
Evacuation Plan
The residents fled along Highway 63, which is the only entrance and exit route of the isolated town. The road was already congested as soon as the evacuation process began (Jolie, 2016). Gas supplies were limited while the travel speeds were extremely slow. This left the evacuees marooned on the roads that were smoke-filled. Nonetheless, some of the evacuees were ferried to Lac Laa Biche by buses. The evacuees were all urged to remain calm as adequate time for evacuation was available. Initially, residents of the unaffected areas around Mc Murray welcomed the affected individuals.
Emergency Response Plan
The emergency response plan included assistance from Ottawa. Ottawa provided air vehicles and cots for the affected individuals already in emergency shelters. On the other hand, the federal government offered grants to save the situation. Alberta provided debit cards that helped the evacuees to find housing and food. The firefighters were sent from provinces like Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec. However, B.C failed to send its firefighters because there were ongoing fires in the region at the time.
Resources
Jolie (2016) notes that the resources in place for the emergency response included workforce- firefighters that were more than 1,110 in number, 22 air tankers, 155 helicopters, and 138 pieces of big equipment. Buses ferried people from the isolated town to safer locations outside the town; however, as previously mentioned, gas supplies were limited. Additionally, the federal government provided financial support. Besides, the Red Cross chipped in to offer its assistance too. Local resources such as hospitality shown by the residents in safe areas around the Fort McMurray town and the temporary camps of the oil sand operations were all a great resource for the victims.
Reference
Jolie, B. (2016). Calling Climate Change: Canadian fire makes a case for a new normal in disaster. Retrieved from https://hazards.colorado.edu/article/calling-climate-change-canadian-fire-makes-a-case-for-a-new-normal-in-disasters
