Preparedness and Experiences of Evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray Horse River Wildfire

Tara K Mcgee

doi:10.3390/fire2010013

Abstract

The 2016 Fort McMurray Horse River Wildfire that caused the evacuation of more than 88,000 residents from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), Alberta is the largest wildfire evacuation in Canadian history. This paper presents results of an online survey of 447 evacuees in June when some residents had returned to RMWB, and others were still living elsewhere. Results of this online survey show that many survey respondents were not aware of the high wildfire risk leading up to May 3rd and social cues indicated they should carry on as usual. Many respondents received little if any warning time to enable them to prepare. Most respondents had a vehicle, but traffic impediments caused some to run out of gas, food and water on the drive away from Fort McMurray. Most respondents stayed in more than one location, with most staying with friends and family for at least part of the evacuation. Some respondents faced challenges including financial difficulties, finding suitable accommodation, and dealing with insurance, and some received insufficient information. Help was offered to evacuees by a vast array of sources including organizations, businesses, communities, and residents. The results of this study show that most survey respondents were not prepared before they had to leave, which increased reliance on help provided by others.

Highlights

Evacuations are used in Canada and elsewhere to protect public safety in the event of a wildfire and other hazards
Five large wildfires came within 20km of Fort McMurray between
Despite the location of the community in the boreal forest, past wildfires in the area, and weather leading up to the beginning of May 2016, when survey participants were asked to think back a few days before the evacuation and recall how they rated the wildfire risk, 44.8%

Summary

Introduction

Evacuations are used in Canada and elsewhere to protect public safety in the event of a wildfire and other hazards. Researchers in several countries have examined residents’ wildfire evacuation intentions during a potential future wildfire [1,2,3,4], and decision-making and actions during an actual wildfire [5,6,7,8,9]. These studies provide important insights into whether or not residents will take recommended protective action and factors that influence their intentions and actions. Kent and colleagues [11] found that evacuations may have positive impacts when people have an opportunity

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Conclusion