Wildfires - Be Prepared
Wildfires present a very real danger and should not be taken lightly. Having escaped a wildfire that consumed much of our town, I speak from experience. There are two common themes that seem to accompany every wildfire situation.
1. I never thought it would happen to us.
2. We had no time.
I will never cease to marvel at the human capacity for denial. We tend to believe that terrible things happen to other people in other places and we get to watch their strife and struggle on the evening news from the comfort of our living room. This line of thinking is what perpetuates “we had no time.”
The Slave Lake Experience
Friday the wildfires started burning. By Saturday they were encroaching from three different directions. By late Sunday afternoon, roads were being closed. I was a new resident of the community and while it frightened me, I believed everyone who vehemently told me to relax – there was nothing to worry about. I was assured that wildfires were a fact of life and no matter how close they got, they would never burn the town. These false assurances were what led us to have no time.
We could sense that things were not quite right. Hurricane-force winds were blowing. Planes were flying sideways and at a snail’s pace as they struggled against the gale. Smoke was enveloping the town. We could see flames licking the sky in the distance. My roommate ventured across the street to check in with the local police. We’d heard rumours of road closures and wanted to know which route we should take to evacuate. Evacuate?? They assured us that there was no need to evacuate. However, if it did become a necessity, we should follow Hwy. 2 south to Edmonton. Shortly thereafter the power went out and a joint decision was made to self-evacuate.
I ran around the house trying to pack belongings. I had long since decided upon the most important item to be taken – a family heirloom – and it was the first item in the truck. I ran around the house picking from a wide assortment of toiletries, clothing, work items but all to quickly our exit escalated from soon to a RIGHT NOW situation.
It soon became obvious that Highway 88 north and Highway 2 south were closed and blocked by emergency vehicles. We knew that Highway 2 east had been closed earlier that day. We took refuge in a parking lot and regrouped to hatch a new plan. I’ll be honest – I was beginning to panic just a little. Our plan was lacking a key element - three vehicles with precious little fuel and a power outage that prevented fuelling. As we sat in the parking lot lacking in direction, we were being showered by ash and roof tiles from the hotel. I saw a family running from the hotel and throwing their belongings into the back of the truck and wondered what had prompted such a hasty move. I turned and saw with absolute horror that the field and trees across the street were engulfed in flames. While we didn’t have a plan, we know we had to move – parked between two bulk fuel stations did not seem prudent. My roommate admonished me not to worry. He did after all have several full gas cans in the back of his truck.
We started a convoy east on Highway 2 and soon encountered a road block. My panic intensified. After moments that felt like hours, we were waved through and I was flooded with relief – momentarily. The lake looked like a devil’s brew – dark and foreboding, waves reeling and soon enough I was in my own version of hell. It’s extremely difficult to describe as it defies logic and reason. What had been a sunny day was now as dark as night at 5:00 in the afternoon; so dark all I could see was a faint glow of taillights ahead of me. Through the darkness, each side of the road was a luminous, eerie, fiery red-orange. I could feel the heat generated by the flames. We drove slowly with ash and burning debris falling around us. My panic hit a crescendo as I recalled my buddy’s truck loaded with flammables. The drive was unbearably slow and punctuated with news of the homes that were just the beginning of those consumed. It was then that I began to reflect on the things left behind. While it’s true that they are only things, my heart sank at the prospect of not ever seeing them again.
Fortunately, we were let through a second road block to get our much-needed fuel, but had to turn back due to yet another fire. That is where we encountered yet another problem – the debit feature that we’ve come to take for granted were inoperable and it was cash only. We pooled our resources to get enough fuel to get to the next nearest source of fuel. Our route was impeded several times along the way. Fires were burning out-of-control every way we turned. 5 hours later we finally reached our destination.
BUT our ordeal had only just begun. The next morning, we solemnly watched the news and tried to comprehend what we saw. Our town was decimated. We were officially evacuees – and with time became known as refugees. My lack of preparation in packing became readily apparent. I wore shorts, a Roughrider’s T-shirt, and boat shoes for days. While I had my computer’s hard drive, I had left behind the keyboard and monitor. Unfinished work with deadlines attached were left behind in a house that may or may not be standing.
It was the uncertainty that became an ordeal. What was left? When could we return? How would we get our mail? How would we get paid? Where would we live and for how long? Where would we work? These are all questions that haunted.
At a news briefing we were told that we were potentially looking at a three-month period before we could return. A map was presented to us showing homes that were lost or damaged. Everyone pleaded to get back to find out if anything could be salvaged. The news was grim. If it was wood, it’s ash; if it was metal, it’s melted. There’s nothing left to salvage if your house succumbed to the fire.
We returned two weeks later to a town that held little resemblance to the one that we left. What struck me the most was the haphazard nature of the fire. A fence left standing in a neighbourhood that no longer existed. The fire skipped neighbourhoods and hit others. Our house was spared while the house behind was not. I sat on our back step and watched the traffic pass on the highway – a view that had once been obscured by several streets of homes. It took time to restore our utilities and our fridge and freezer became hazardous waste. It was an odd site to see excavators and dump trucks picking up appliances and a field on the perimeter of town become a dump site.
I still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder which is often triggered by mundane circumstances – the wind, the smell of smoke, low-flying aircraft. I have learned many lessons which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I’ve watched the same scenario play out over the years, and have had family, friends and colleagues affected by similar circumstances. Tonight, I had a conversation with my father and lamented that people just don’t know what to do or simply don’t do it. He commented that it reminded him of someone else. YES – me. I feel compelled to share this story and lessons learned to hopefully help others to prepare for a wildfire emergency.
It is crucial to develop an Emergency Response Plan.
Create a detailed inventory of everything you own. I won’t lie - this is a daunting task. I documented all major items including make, model, size, etc. I toured my home with a camera and took pictures of the contents of drawers, cupboards and closets. If your home is destroyed by fire, the insurance company will ask you for such a list. I’ve heard from people that have been through this that there were many items they simply forgot they owned and it wasn’t until they were walking through a store years later that they saw the item and remembered that they once owned it.
Decide what you want or must have if you are evacuated and make a list. You will forget items if you must leave in a hurry.
Create an emergency evacuation kit and keep it in a closet close to your front door.
Prescription medications.
Clothing and toiletries.
Bottled water.
Non-perishable food items.
Road map.
Important documents, i.e. mortgage, legal, tax and insurance documents, birth certificates, passport/travel documents, inventory of household items.
External hard drive containing important computer files. Following the fire, I scanned all of my family photos and important documents and saved them online so even if I left without my computer, I still had access.
Cell phone chargers.
Emergency cash.
Pet carriers, leashes, dog beds, veterinary records, pet food and dishes.
4. Keep extra boxes, packing paper and packing tape on hand for packing fragile items.
5. Download all emergency notification aps for your area – any version of the emergency broadcasting system for your geographic location. Set it to send you push notifications.
6. Establish a perimeter.
Wildfire within 20 kilometers
Pack all items identified in #3.
Ensure your emergency evacuation kit is complete and ready to go.
Fill your gas tank and keep it full.
Wildfire within 10 kilometers
Pack your items in your vehicle and diligently monitor locations, spread and proximity to evacuation routes.
Plan your exit strategy, evacuation route and destination and communicate it to all affected family members.
Keep your pets corralled and ensure you know the exact location of family members.
Establish rendez-vous points and methods of communication with everyone that will be evacuating with you – text messaging will work in the event that phone service is disrupted.
Wildfire within 5 kilometers – consider self-evacuation particularly if evacuation routes are in danger. Remember that wildfires can grow several hundred hectares in a very short timeframe. Ensure your own safety over saving your belongings.
DON’T believe anyone who tells you that the fire will never come near to or enter your town. There is no one in this world that can predict with any certainty what a fire will do or where it will go. Wildfires create their own wind and weather patterns and are wildly unpredictable. Use your best judgment and don’t pay heed to people that think you are being unnecessarily paranoid. Paranoid may save your life.
If you are evacuated:
Your community will establish one or more evacuation centres that are equipped to provide short-term food and shelter. It is important to register at an evacuation centre.
This allows for officials to account for evacuees and will ensure you are provided with essential information and updates.
You will have access to donations and funds that may be needed throughout the period of evacuation.
Insurance companies will set up stations at each evacuation centre. If you have home owner’s or contents insurance you are entitled to coverage for the duration of your evacuation even if your home is untouched by fire. Start a claim and keep all receipts for costs incurred while you are evacuated.
Watch the news but don’t dwell on it. It will be filled with misinformation dramatized for effect. Rely on reliable sources only.
Take care of yourself and your family. Try to establish a routine and a schedule. Plan fun events. Keep in touch with friends and loved ones. Seek professional help if needed for depression and anxiety.
