Fort McMurray firefighters share key moments in fight for city

The fight tosaveFort McMurrayraged on for days, but when it was over firefighters managed to save90 per cent of the city.

"We all stood shoulder to shoulder," said fire captain Ryan Pitchers, listing all those involved including otherfire departments andRCMP. "And we were able to do what we were able to do and accomplish, which seemed insurmountable at the time."

Withresidents returning home, three firefighters from theFort McMurray fire departmentsharesomekey moments in the fight for their city which made thehomecoming possible.

Battle ofJWMann Drive

'We decided that...we were going tomake a stand and try todo what we can tosave the neighbourhood.'-Ryan Pitchers

Day 1. Over the radio, fire captain Ryan Pitchers' crew, along with two others from the Fort McMurray fire department, weretold to evacuate JW Mann Drive in the Wood Buffalo neighbourhood. Some homes were already lit up. Wind and flames blewinto their faces. Thensuddenly, it juststopped. That wasthe moment Pitchers made the decision: they would stay.

Fire captain Ryan Pitchers describes saving a neighbourhood in Fort McMurray

8 years ago

Duration 2:30

Saving a neighbourhood from destruction was a team effort and emotions ran high, fire captain Ryan Pitchers explains.

Battle ofThickwood

We 'were running around with our boots stomping out grassfires'-MarkStephenson

Despite theloss of his own home on the first day, senior firefighter MarkStephensonpressed on. On day two, Stephenson was among the firefighters who came face to face with "the beast,"an all-day fight to stop the fire from roaring into theThickwood neighbourhood.

Firefighter Mark Stephenson describes the brutal conditions firefighters faced in battling the beast

8 years ago

Duration 1:34

It came fast and furious, firefighter Mark Stephenson said of the efforts to push back the wildfire as it entered Fort McMurray.

Battle ofWalnut Crescent

'You're sad for all the losses ... And even though we did everything, wereally wish we could have always done more.' - Suzanne Barry

On the second night of the fire, firefighter EMTSuzanne Barry was on one of four Fort McMurray crews involved in an eight-hour battle to prevent the fire from advancing into theTimberlea neighbourhood.

EMT Suzanne Barry describes scenes of destruction left by Fort McMurray wildfire

8 years ago

Duration 1:46

"Everything was on fire," says Suzanne Barry, who helped douse burning houses in Fort McMurray.