An Alberta elementary school principal from fire-ravaged Fort McMurray is crediting her staff for ferrying 70 students to safety through the heart of the blaze.
Laura Dennis says the swift growth of the fire Tuesday afternoon left her with little choice but to get the children out of Good Shepherd Catholic School before official evacuation procedures could get underway.
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She mobilized her staff, instructing them to take as many students as they could in their own vehicles and head toward another school that wasn’t in the direct line of fire.
Dennis says the convoy drove metres from walls of flame that were destroying the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill, leaving her terrified for everyone’s safety.
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Dennis says the teachers remained with their students for as long as 10 hours, foregoing the chance to return home for their own belongings, until everyone was safely reunited with their families.