Fort McMurray, AB, resident Andrew Leppard said he was working on site at Westward Electric when his boss called him to inform that he would be sent home because of the wildfire.

When Leppard’s boss advised him to go home, he said it was awesome.

“I noticed that my staff is getting nervous and apprehensive,” said Leppard in a Tuesday interview.

“I thought that it was a very good idea.”

While money is one element, he said a house and family is another. He thanked his boss for giving him the rest of the week off.

One hour after arriving home, he received an alert saying the two neighbourhoods beside him were being evacuated. Because he has been through a wildfire evacuation before, he decided to be proactive and get out of Fort McMurray.

As he drove on the highway out of Fort McMurray, smoke lined the two sides of it. Visibility was down to one kilometre.

His vehicle’s cabin had a strong smoke smell inside of it. However, the terrible conditions were over soon.

Because he is a retired paramedic, he said he is used to high-stress situations such as this. When he was sitting in traffic, there was a family sitting beside him with an older lady who was crying.

He said this evacuation is more organized than the 2016 one. This is because it is less panicked, the traffic is more controlled, and police officers are located at every intersection.

Lac La Biche has set up an evacuation centre. While he was sad to leave his home, he said he “has a lot more faith in Wood Buffalo’s organization this time.”

He is heading to Edmonton and will join his friend on Vancouver Island until Victoria Day. After Victoria Day, he will reassess his response.

He said Fort McMurray looks “almost like a war zone.” Helicopters and waterbombers have been flying over it for the last few days.

When he saw the helicopters and waterbombers, he said he thought an evacuation order would be coming soon. His bags have been packed since Friday.

He put his odds of returning home at the end of Victoria Day at 50%. It depends on the winds.

Leppard concluded by saying the evacuation is an inconvenience, but it was needed.

“I think I still have more to live,” he said.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) put out an evacuation order for four communities in Fort McMurray due to the wildfire on Tuesday.

The RMWB said Abasand, Beacon Hill, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace have moved to an evacuation order, and residents must leave by 4 p.m. while following signs, designated evacuation routes, and instructions from emergency responders.

If people are not in an area under an evacuation order, the RMWB said they should remain in place until these communities evacuate first to facilitate a safe evacuation. It said evacuees should register online.

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