FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Alberta declared a state of emergency Wednesday as crews frantically held back wind-whipped wildfires that have already torched 1,600 homes and other buildings in Fort McMurray, forcing all 80,000 residents to flee.
As tens of thousands of evacuees fled Fort McMurray, numerous private companies and municipalities are pitching in to help with the huge wildfire and its aftermath. Here’s how people are helping out:
- The Canadian Red Cross is taking donations from individuals and organizations here. People can call the Red Cross at 1-888-350-6070 for family reunification.
- The Bank of Montreal has instituted a relief program to assist customers affected by the wildfire, which includes various options on deferral of personal loan payments and personal mortgage loan principal and interest payments.
- An open-source Facebook page has been set up to help evacuees with information and resources. People have been using the page to assist evacuees with any items and shelter they might be able to offer.(www.facebook.com/Fort-McMurray-Evacuee-Open-Source-Help-Page-1542379816069211)
From The Edmonton Journal