One oil worker who was moved north due to the raging fire north of Fort McMurray calls the blaze intimidating.
BJ Spears flew back to Fort McMurray for work on Sunday. He had been working night shift and was sleeping at this work camp Monday when he heard an alarm go off.
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“It looked to be midnight. I thought I missed my alarm but it was 3 p.m. There was just darkness,” he said about the scene outside his window.
“I knew we were in some trouble.”
Spears then learned his work camp, Narolta Lodge, was being evacuated. He quickly packed a bag and got in a bus that took him north 40 kilometres.
While he may be safe for now, he said he doesn’t understand why he was brought back to work.
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“Why are we even here? We were told we were out of harm’s way, not in the line of fire.”
“The fire is moving north. It makes sense to go south.”
Spears describes his new location as extremely smoky and said it is difficult to breathe and see. He said that while he cannot see the flames, he is on edge.
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“I’m scared and intimidated by the fire.”
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