The Fort McMurray wildfire, called “the beast,” is now mostly under control. Starting on May 1, Alberta has been in a state of emergency, with more than 300 wildfires province-wide. Residents who wanted to return home were allowed to re-enter the area beginning on June 1, and government updates beginning June 7 indicated that the beast had not had much growth and was 70% controlled. The recent status of “held” is cause for celebration for the nearly 90,000 residents,  who fled the fire in May.

Many services have been restored in Fort McMurray as people return to their homes including hospital, mail, and several government services. Air and water quality continue to be a serious problem, and the levels of toxins in the ash are being tested, according to the Alberta government. Ash is a great concern, especially in the areas with the greatest number of burned houses, because it has very high levels of toxic particulates, including asbestos. Residents of some neighborhoods have not been able to return home.

Speaking in Wood Buffalo, Premier of Alberta, Rachel Notley said of the status of the fires, “It is not the end of the story, it is not yet a return to normal life, and it is not yet a celebration.”

The people of Fort McMurray were celebrating anyway.

Taming the beast

Getting the wildfires that ravaged Fort McMurray and covered almost 6,000 square kilometers in Alberta under control took the cooperative efforts of thousands of people from several organizations. American and South African firefighters were called in to help Canadian firefighters, bringing numbers to 2,000. They have battled the blazes for over a month, but they still have work to do until the fires are completely out.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Red Cross launched its appeal for donations on May 3, and people responded generously, giving approximately $125 million to help the people of Fort McMurray, as reported by Charity Intelligence Canada. 

Here’s the breakdown of how the money was used:
●$75 million: Direct cash transfers to evacuees on May 11 and May 30
●$15 million: Transportation aid to return 
●$50 million: Grants to Fort McMurray local charities
●$18.8 million: Canadian Red Cross Programs
●$6.3 million: Fundraising (5% of donations)

Communities in recovery

As the fires die down, tempers flare as all of the people of Fort McMurray face the difficulties associated with rising from the ashes of their scorched lives.

The first council meeting featured a mayor and council members at odds with one another, along with frustrated residents. The meeting ran until 11 PM, exhausting all involved, but finally resulting in the passing of an access control bylaw to limit visitors to areas restricted because of toxins.