'Fort McMurray will flourish again,' says Slave Lake evacuee

When Mandy Larsson fled Slave Lake five years ago, she assumed her entire neighbourhood had been annihilated by the wildfire.

Images of the aftermath flashing across television screens throughout the country showed hundreds of homes and buildings reduced to cinder and ash.

When Larsson learned her property had been saved, she couldn't wait to get back, but the home-coming turned out to bittersweet.

"Seeing the devastation and how much was lost was heartbreaking, but it was actually better than what we had seen," she said.

"At the time, the media was only concentrating on the areas that were affected, and we weren't seeing the houses that were still standing, and the grass that was still green."

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For tens of thousands of residents who choose to return to Fort McMurray after the wildfire, Larsson says those first weeks and months back in the city will be a painful, but passable, test.

"It was a really scary moment, with a lot of fear of the unknown," Larsson said.

"But be patient. I know it's really, really hard to be hearing that and it's hard to know that you're not going to be getting into your house tomorrow, and its hard to be away from your home. 

"But they are doing the best that they can to get you into your home, and make it safe for your family."

 'Trust in your community' 

When Larsson did return to her home on the outskirts of Slave Lake — weeks after the fire was extinguished — one-third of the town was gutted. Nearly 400 structures were now blackened rubble. 

The stench of rotting food filled the streets. The city was still struggling to restore basic services like running water and electricity, grocery store shelves were bare, and a thick toxic ash blanketed everything in sight.

"The smell was overpowering, it was not the smell of campfire which is what I expected. It was actually a very potent smell that needed to be washed out everything that was fabric.

Larsson suggests evacuees return to Fort McMurray with a few days supply of food and water, and enough duct tape to seal off the toxic fumes in their refrigerators.

"There was a lot of work, and a lot cleaning that needed to be done.

"And luckily no one we knew made the mistake of opening their fridge or freezer, because that's a smell that takes even longer to get out of your house."

Despite the harsh conditions and anxiety of returning to the burned-out community,  Larsson says her neighbours gave her the strength to get through it. 

And although it may not seem like it now, she believes Fort McMurray will flourish again. 

"There was a lot tears and hugs, and a lot of neighbourhood help ... and that community spirit really started after the fire was over," said Larsson. 

"Trust in your community, and trust in the helpful hands that everybody there are going to be offering. Accept that help and seek help if you need it."