As the devastating wildfire that tore through Fort McMurray Tuesday afternoon continues to grow, affecting new communities, social media posts by evacuees from the northeastern Alberta town give us a rare glimpse into their harrowing escape from the raging inferno.
One of the most captivating and harrowing videos has been published by Michel Chamberland, who works as a power engineer for an oil company in Fort McMurray.
Chamberland told CBC News he had worked the night shift and was sleeping at 2 p.m. Tuesday when he got a call from a friend who told him that his neighbourhood, Beacon Hill was being evacuated.
“I was not — clearly not aware. I wasn’t sure how true or accurate his information was until I got up and took a few steps outside and really saw what was going on,” he told CBC News. “My neighbourhood was practically empty, and I could see and hear the flames crackling behind my neighbours’ homes. And that clearly told me it was time to go.”
Chamberland only had time to grab his wallet, passport and a plastic bag filled with clothes before running out to his truck to escape the wildfires surrounding Fort McMurray.
He posted these videos from his front and rear dash cams as he drove through Beacon Hill, one of the hardest hit neighbourhoods.
Here’s the video of the same moments through the rear dash cam camera.
But it’s this third video that really captures just how close people came to a truly tragic loss of life. Watch how fiery rain of red-hot embers come down on cars as the fire roars through the neighbourhood.
“You could feel the wind blowing into the flames and the flames would push or come towards you, almost licking at your car, on top of your car. And that’s when you feel the heat and the embers started falling on you,” he said.
Chamberland said he never thought that he might not make it out, but said it crossed his mind that he might have to start driving on the sidewalk and over some fences to get out.
He’s now safely with his parents in Edmonton, but said he’s feeling “pretty empty, saddened, devastated, shocked. Still trying to take in the whole situation and what happened. You just never, never expect this.”
With files from CBC News
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.