8,000 Filipinos affected in massive Alberta, Canada wildfire

Photo of the wildfire taken from Fil-Canadian Flor Connor’s house in Fort McMurray, Alberta. CONTRIBUTED

RED DEER, Alberta – Her instinct told 51-year-old Filipina Canadian Flor Connors to grab her family photos before the massive wildfire now engulfing a northern Alberta town could reach her house.

“They couldn’t have been saved,” she said of the family memorabilia, never mind if other important documents such as passports would be left behind at her house in Fort McMurray.

At 2 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, May 3, Connors took a photo on her cell phone of the two then visible wildfires that she could see from her home on Fullerton Drive. A few minutes later, a mandatory evacuation was announced and she found herself packing things.

Her husband just arrived at work when they were told to go home following the evacuation order. At this time, her eldest daughter was on her way home when a fire razed a gas station on the side of the road. Connors recalls telling her daughter, “Just step out of the car and run for your life.”

At past 3 o’clock the family drove away from their house and made it to safety to her husband’s worksite at Syncrude Canada Ltd., where an overnight campground was made available to affected employees of the oil sands company. The Connors family has since evacuated and is currently staying with a relative in Edmonton City, 378 km. south of Fort McMurray.

Connors, vice president of the Filipino Canadian Association of Fort McMurray, Alberta, said, “We haven’t experienced this kind of fire here, it is [extremely] scary.”

The mother of two, who used to be an executive director for non-government organization Nistawoyou Association Friendship Centre, has been a resident of Fort McMurray for 22 years.

There are approximately 8,000 Filipinos living in Fort McMurray, according to Connors. Fourteen contract workers who reportedly scampered to Edmonton wearing only their uniforms and bringing some personal belongings are being helped by Migrante Alberta. The group is asking donations from Filipino communities across the province to help.

Ailyn Peria, 35 years old, a resident of Edmonton had welcomed three of the 14 contract workers in her home. She said that the workers with Petro Canada came to Edmonton empty-handed.

A province-wide emergency at 3 o’clock on Wednesday has been declared after the wildfire, which started on Sunday, had forced some 88,000 residents out of their homes and destroyed some 1,600 homes and properties as it razed three communities by Wednesday evening, reports showed.

Photo of encroaching fire as the Connors family was leaving their home. CONTRIBUTED

A bulletin by the Government of Alberta posted as of Thursday morning stated, “Fire conditions remain extreme with 18 new starts yesterday.” The government estimated about 49 total wildfires are burning with seven considered out of control. Weather conditions, although cooler at 16C as predicted, remain a significant factor carrying gusting winds at 40 km. per hour, the government reported.

More than 1,110 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers have been dispatched to bring the fire under control.

“We know Albertans are stepping up to help the people of Fort McMurray; that’s what Albertans do when people are in need. The most effective thing people can do right now is make donations to the Red Cross, knowing our government will match those funds,” Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said.

For her part, Connors’ eldest daughter is having her college convocation this Friday. “She probably won’t be attending now,” she said hoping that the school would postpone the event for affected students.

Connors is also hoping their house of 22 years withstands the fire. “Please pray for all of us…[we hope that] we still have our houses intact to return to when these raging wild fires had been put out,” Connors said.