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Fort McMurray non-essential businesses hamper work to get evacuated city reopened

Fort McMurray non-essential businesses hamper work to get evacuated city reopened

Non-essential service providers pushing to get back into Fort McMurray are stalling efforts to get essential services up and running, says Bob Couture, director of emergency management for the regional emergency operations centre.

"When I say stalled, it puts intense pressure on our team," Couture said Friday. "We get phone calls, emails by the thousands from people saying, 'Hey, I want to come in, I want to help'."

But their kind of help isn't required at this point and staff are telling some small businesses, such as beauty salons and automotive shops, to hold off on returning to the fire ravaged community, Couture added. About 94,000 people fled the community as a wildfire moved in.

The problem is not expected to delay next week's conditional re-entry, Couture added.

But it is distracting efforts of his staff away from the work of returning essential services — needed to provide things like power, food and medical assistance — required for residents to return, which is supposed to start happening in phases beginning June 1.

"We understand that everybody wants to get their operation up and running, but we have to focus on our essential services," he said. "If we don't get our essential services up ... we won't have any food in the community, we won't have any gas in our community."

Limited food, accommodations

Another reason for keeping small business providers away at this time is limited accommodations and food available in the Fort McMurray area.

"Let us focus on those essential service providers, get them in here, get them a place where they can lay their head down after a 19-hour, 20-hour day, which a lot of them are working to get the community back up and running," Couture said.

A majority of non-essential small business operators are being stopped once they reach the checkpoint on Highway 63 outside Fort McMurray. Couture said they can become frustrated when forced to turn around and make the long drive back to Edmonton.

"Business is important, absolutely we want business back up and running. Once we re-open June 1, yes, come in and get your business up and running, but we have to have all those essential services up and running first," Couture stressed.

Keep expectations low

As it stands now, Couture is not expecting even essential services to be complete and running at full capacity by Wednesday.

"I don't know if they [grocery stores] will have fresh fruit and vegetables," he said. "Pharmacies, they're working really hard to have a full range of pharmaceutical supplies."

The services that will be available next week will not be nearly at the level of what residents would have found a month ago before the wildfire, Courture said.

"That's why we're recommending that everyone who's returning home, that they bring 14 days of groceries and medical supplies to support them," he said.

The wildfire that forced residents to flee Fort McMurray on May 3 is still burning out of control, but is no longer threatening the city.

However, air quality continues to be a problem. According to the province's air quality index, the Fort McMurray region is considered to be 10 on a scale of one to 10.

The province said in order for re-entry plans to go ahead, air quality has to be at acceptable levels.

The fire destroyed more than 2,000 structures within the city. It has burned 569,388 hectares in Alberta and Saskatchewan.