Wood Buffalo

Everyday Heroes

It has often been said that in difficult and dire times our character and our worth is tested. When we are faced with the most difficult challenges our true colours show and we find out what we are really made of.   In May 2016 RMWB battled a foe so ferocious it threatened the very existence of the municipality, a fire so large it created its own weather and a heat so intense it melted metal. It was the largest prolonged mass evacuation of a city in Canadian history. It was a wildfire causing the devastation of an area of approximately 365,500 football fields and at its height having a perimeter of 1080 kilometers. It has been termed the costliest disaster in Canadian history. These are numbers that are difficult to comprehend. Despite the staggering cirumstances the most moving part of this story is how the community came together and responded in this time of need. This story is about the harrowing escape, the great exodus of residents through the fire and about those who decided to selflessly stay and fight . It is the story of those who in a time of great peril willingly sacrificed their time at great personal risk and it is the story of humble simple acts performed by everyday people. Despite the devastation this is the thing that the fire laid bare and is worth celebrating. With a fire termed "The Beast"  it is a testament to the character of the community that more was not lost. Many communities were destroyed, homes lost and lives upeneded and what matters most is family and the people that make the community the place that it is. We must also keep in our hearts that there are those who weren’t so fortunate and did not make it to safety. RMWB will rebuild, is rebuilding and despite the overwhelming challenges it is because of the outstanding character of these residents that the community is standing again on its feet.