Water Crew Stays Behind As Fort McMurray Burns

As a major wildfire blazed through the Canadian city of Fort McMurray this month, water industry employees risked their safety to ensure water continued pumping to firefighters during the blaze.

Around 80,000 people abandoned the city last week amid a mandatory evacuation order, according to The New York Times.

But a water treatment plant near the Athabasca River was not entirely abandoned.

“Many of the plant's employees had already fled with their families, leaving a skeleton crew of nine men to continue their vital work, providing the water firefighters so desperately needed as they fought to save the city,” CBC News reported.

“Even as trees burned 50 feet from their control room window, and the entire plant filled with thick smoke, the nine workers continued to do their jobs. They wore dust masks, only removing them in the control room, which has an air purifier,” the report said.

George Muirhead, a utility treatment technician, was among those who stayed behind. He remained in the plant until flames threatened the facility itself.

“For a time, the crew was forced to evacuate to an oilsands camp north of the city. But hours later, under police escort, they returned to the plant,” the report said.

Muirhead spoke to CBC News about the experience.

"The fire had come to the water plant, burned the hillside just across from us, and had burned all around the perimeter of the water treatment plant itself," Muirhead said. "And for some reason, some way, it decided to not hit our river intake structure, where we pull the water in from the river."

"We are called essential services. I can't speak for all of us, or all people in the water industry, but we kind of take that to heart," he added. "We care, and it's hard to stop caring. We know keeping the water going is important for the firefighters, and we're there for them as much as they're here for us."

Muirhead has since evacuated, but he continues to put in work remotely.

“Muirhead has been logging into the plant's computer system remotely to help with operations. He's monitoring the plant from afar and lending support over the phone to those who remain there,” the report said.

“He can still tell how much water is being pushed out the distribution system to fill reservoirs and pumps, and sees data coming back in. He knows which parts of the system remain operational,” it continued.

Canadian officials say 2,400 out of 25,000 structures in the city were damaged, according to the BBC.

“Nobody was killed in the fire but two people died in a car crash when they were leaving the city. Officials said they hoped to provide a schedule within two weeks for the return of residents,” the report said.

To read more about the people who make up the water and wastewater treatment industries visit Water Online’s Labor Solutions Center.