ATHABASCA — Breanna Mackenzie has been a resident of Boyle since she was five years old, calling the small village home for the last 21 years. Now, she hopes she, her two young children, and volunteer firefighter husband will still have a home and a village to return to.
Mackenzie said Tuesday, May 6 started as a normal day for the young family of four. Sounds of fire engine sirens and calls over her husband’s fire department radio are not out of the ordinary, but as she geared up her young daughter for soccer practice, the view out of her kitchen window sparked a foreboding feeling.
“I saw an orange hue in the horizon,” Mackenzie told the Athabasca Advocate on May 7 from the safety of her sister’s home near Athabasca. “Usually this stuff doesn’t really bother me, but for some reason something in the pit of my stomach was a little bit more on the worried side.”
With soccer practice cancelled, her husband out on the call, and emergency alerts from the village and county warning of potential evacuation buzzing through cell phones for much of the afternoon and evening, Mackenzie said she first packed up the essentials and then tried to calm her nerves while awaiting any news.
An advance heads-up from a friend of a friend in-the-know gave her a small head start on evacuation, no less than seven hours after the first alert had been broadcast.
“When we got the actual order to leave, the truck was all loaded. I loaded up my kids, our cat, the last little bit of our stuff. I rushed over to get my grandmother and we drove out here last night.”
While Mackenzie and her young children — one newly three and another with a fifth birthday approaching soon — are coping as best as they can, the young mother said concern for her husband Christopher Mackenzie lives in the back of her mind.
“Last night was a little rough. I called him yesterday and I just begged him, just please, please be safe,” said Mackenzie. “I’ve definitely been worried, but I’m glad that he is able to send a text here and there just to let me know that he’s safe.”
According to Mackenzie, her husband timed out before noon today and was sent for rest and recuperation before resuming his response efforts. She said he’s been with the department for around 13 years, and in her recollection, has never been on a fire call quite like this one.
Small town support
A litany of local individuals, organizations and contractors have posted and offered a wide range of services and supports for Boyle evacuees, including houses, trailer parking and storage, tent and trailer camping and more.
The Athabasca Ag Society, Thistle Ridge Ranch, an animal rescue southeast of Athabasca, and countless rural residents not impacted by the evacuation have offered camping spots, as well stable and barn space for any livestock needing placement.
The Athabasca Lions campground has powered spots available for anyone in need, and the Grassland Apartments are offering parking space for campers heading east.
Rich Aitzetmueller of Gearhead Garage in Caslan posted his offer of support on social media Tuesday evening, offering anyone in need of a place to stay or store their trucks, trailers or anything in the yard, even hauling or pick up services for those in need of transport.
Aitzetmueller said after experiencing the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, he knows the value of community support and giving back. The lack of services and fuel availability for those evacuating made the journey that much more uncertain, and only after a friend reached out with an offer for help did the Aitzetmuellers get safety out of the burning northern Alberta city.
Shows of support have even come from as far as Edmonton — Priyank Patel, owner of Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria on Jasper Avenue, was quick to extend a helping hand to the community after hearing about the fire from friends in the area.
Patel’s posts on social media encouraged any Boyle residents travelling to Edmonton to contact him, and said he is willing and able to meet any requests for “anything and everything,” be it for hotel accommodation, a meal, or more.
“If anyone needs any kinds of supplies for kids, adults, any supplies at all, we got it,” said Patel. “Anyone who doesn’t have friends or family, or don’t know or are panicking where they should go, we can accommodate them as well.”
While he doesn’t have first-hand experience with a wildfire evacuation, Famoso Pizzeria showed similar support for displaced Jasper residents last summer, and Patel said he strongly empathizes with the residents of Boyle on a level beyond language.
“When you have to leave your belongings and your house behind, it’s that feeling that you cannot express in words. We just want to be there for our fellow Albertans, we want to do everything we can to even make one per cent better change in this stressful and panicking situation.”
