24 COMMUNICATOR
F E AT U R E
I
Putting Out Fires
Motion Canada is expanding its vital fire services support to industrial and commercial customers
b y C h R i s F R e i m o n d
IT'S EVERY FIREFIGHTER'S WORST
nightmare: a forest blaze whipped out of
control by raging winds racing towards homes
and businesses while terrified residents
scramble to save what they can and flee.
On May 1, 2016, the nightmare became a
reality when a wildfire southwest of Fort
McMurray in northern Alberta defied the
best efforts of firefighters and swept into the
city. It destroyed approximately 2,400 homes
and other buildings, and forced the evacua-
tion of 80,000 people and the temporary
shutdown of oil sands operations threatened
by the fire.
For the next two months, Canadians
across the country watched in horror as the
fire kept spreading, eventually consuming
approximately 1.5 million acres and causing
damage estimated at $3.6 billion before it
was brought under control on July 5.
©iStock / DigitalStorm; map: Keith Binns
