FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. Almost five years after a massive wildfire forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray, Alta., the northeastern Alberta oilsands hub is in another state of emergency.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes the city of Fort McMurray, has seen a recent surge in COVID-19 cases that has strained the local hospital.
Mayor Don Scott, speaking at a news conference on the fifth anniversary of the blaze, says his community is the toughest he’s ever seen and it has always bounced back after challenges.
He says he knows this time of year can be tough on residents as memories come flooding back of the wildfire that destroyed thousands of homes.
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By Jaryn Vecchio
Neighbourhood in Ptarmigan // Steph Seidel - Harvard Broadcasting
The municipality will be covering the costs to raise properties in Ptarmigan Court.
Wood Buffalo council met on Tuesday where they unanimously approved paying the cost for contractors to lift structures to protect them from future flooding.
Early estimates put the costs between $21,000 and $38,000 for each property.
“We know Ptarmigan can’t be protected the same way as other parts of our region, just because of the way it’s situated, but we do need to take steps to protect them,” said Mayor Don Scott.
So far, two property owners have expressed interest in raising their property.
FORT MCMURRAY Almost five years after a massive wildfire forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray, Alta., the northeastern Alberta oilsands hub is in another state of emergency. A fire so ferocious it earned the nickname “the beast” spread into the city on May 3, 2016, causing nearly 90,000 people to flee the flames. Residents were out of their homes for at least a month and thousands of buildings were destroyed. Now, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes the city of Fort McMurray, is dealing with a surge in COVID-19 cases that has strained the local hospital. Mayor Don Scott said Thursday that the community has been dealt challenge after challenge, but has always bounced back.