By Alex Hassel, Storage.com
A wildfire out of control in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, has caused what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls “the largest fire evacuation in Alberta’s history.” While residents are scurrying to save their belongings, StorageMart is providing what relief it can. The company is donating storage space to evacuees near Edmonton.
Weather.com reports the fire spread on Thursday, May 5, 2016, from 25,000 acres to 210,000 acres in just 24 hours. That’s larger than the city of Chicago.
The Alberta government said that more than 1,100 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment, and 22 air tankers are fighting the blaze, but it’s still not enough.
“You could add five times the number of firefighters, but you can’t get all the embers,” Bill Stewart, Co-Director of Center for Fire Research and Outreach at University of California, Berkeley told the Associated Press. “There’s no way to put out every ember flying over firefighters’ heads.”
At the time this article was published, at least 88,000 people had been forced to evacuate. Homes and entire neighborhoods are gone. Making matters worse for evacuees, gasoline is scarce. In fact, the gas supply in Fort McMurray, Wandering River, and Grasslands is depleted.
For any of the victims who could use it, StorageMart is donating a month of free Edmonton self storage.
“We’re thankful to hear that there have been no fatalities nor serious injuries reported at this time,” said Cris Burnam, StorageMart President. “We’re grateful to the Canadian Red Cross for providing staff and volunteers to help with immediate needs like food and shelter.”
“Edmonton self storage is a resource for those who need somewhere to store the belongings they have rescued from their homes,” Burnam continued. “Our staff will help people find the right storage unit for their belongings so they can move in quickly and can spend time with family and friends and deal with the wildfire’s effects.”
There are four Edmonton self storage locations:
- 8401 18th Street NW
- 10710 214th Street NW
- 13303 Fort Road NW
- 21508 115 Avenue NW
All fenced locations offer climate-controlled units, easily accessible storage units, handcarts, and keypad access for peace of mind.
Alex Hassel is News Reporter for Storage.com. If you’d like to pitch Alex a self storage industry news story, email alex.hassel@storage.com or call 402-779-7328.
