It is May 3 today. The 7th Anniversary of the evacuations due to the Horse River wildfire in Fort McMurray. In 2016, I was not in Fort McMurray yet but I was in Ontario, glued to social media. My husband was in Fort McMurray helping to coordinate the evacuation.
Every year since that fire, I spend much of April listening to my husband talk about the potential for flooding. The last week or so in April, the conversation quickly changes to wildfires. It is that 2-3 week period just before “green up”. If there is no rain in that period, the already tinder dry grass and bare trees will ignite pretty easily.
This year reminds me of 2016. The temperatures have been in the high 20’s for about a week now with strong winds. There are already fires in the province that have prompted evacuations. Yesterday a fire started 50km south of Fort McMurray near the Provincial Park that is located there. Ironically it started on May 2, the same as 2016 and is also the 9th fire in that Forest area for the season. Any fire that starts in that region causes the community anxiety but even more so around the anniversary date.
I am unsure whether it is because my husband’s job focuses on Emergency Management or that the summer climate has changed but it seems to me that there are more and more fires each year. It has become normal to have that hazy smoke linger in the air in the mornings and the faint smell of smoke to be present most days.
I have apps for AB Wildfire and BC Wildfire. They show where fires are and if they are under control. The Air Quality Index app shows how much smoke is in each region and Windy app shows whether the wind direction will change in upcoming days. I also have the Alberta Emergency Alert app which warns areas of emergencies and evacuations. I like having as much information as possible at my fingertips.
Perhaps this new obsession of mine in the summer months is like a Saskatchewan farmer who constantly talks about the weather and how it is affecting their crops. I am immersed through my husband in the world of Emergency Management and, as a result, I am interested in the science behind how wildfire moves and can affect communities.
Today, I think about the people that were there in Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016. I think, for many, it is still a bit of a struggle as the anniversary passes each year. Many people that lost homes rebuilt and they have gotten on with their lives but their memories of that day remain strong.
As more fires have popped up province wide today, I hope the firefighters can keep those fires at bay for a few more days when cooler weather and some rain is expected. It is always a tense couple weeks in May after a very dry April.
This is so true. I know Pam is very stressed at this time of year or whenever there is smoke.