We know it was most likely a stray spark or cigarette butt that started the 2016 wildfire. We understand the provincewide ban on off-highway vehicles. We know what they face - the insurance claims, the contractors and the realization that you can no longer plug in the kettle for a cup of tea because you no longer have a kettle, cup or tea. Now, as we hear of fellow Albertans losing homes and family treasures, our hearts bleed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. We try not to notice the blackened, jagged trees that ring three sides of the town, or empty lots that mar our well-appointed streets like a missing tooth in a smile. This is the brave face the people of Fort McMurray wear as we rally. If that scarf gives us a little extra spiritual protection, we’ll happily take it. “This time,” I said to my husband, “let’s take the prayer scarf the Dalai Lama gave your father.” Now, all over town, families are putting photo albums in suitcases, bringing pet carriers up from the basement and pulling out favourite Christmas decorations. Local landmarks had disintegrated, along with our gas barbecues and gun safes. We returned to find once-cosy neighbourhoods looking like a moonscape, craters full of ash where our homes had stood. The fire burned a third of the city, including my home. The 2016 wildfire saw 90,000 people, including me, evacuated from the biggest wildfire in Canadian history. Should an evacuation order come, we will not hesitate to obey. The next issue of Calgary Herald Headline News will soon be in your inbox. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. Manage Print Subscription / Tax ReceiptĪ welcome email is on its way.
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