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Following the first reading of a bylaw to form a Wood Buffalo recovery committee, several people got up to share thoughts on not only the plan for the committee, but other concerns they had about the wildfire and its aftermath.

Resident Andrew Thorne said the evacuation happened too slowly. He called for an investigation into not only the cause of the fire, but the decision-making that he believes endangered the fleeing residents who should have been gone before the flames arrived.

“You don’t get into a cage with a lion and you don’t let a forest fire burn that close to a city,” Thorne said, to applause.

Blake said she felt compelled to respond to Thorne’s criticisms of the emergency response. She said mid-morning assessments hours before the evacuation showed no indication that the wind would change the way it did and that the wildfire’s movement toward the city wasn’t predictable.

“You’re never going to hear me speak ill of anyone involved in the evacuation,” Blake said.

“It was a bloody miracle that we survived.”

While some residents pitched ideas for the committee — urging speedy action — a few people spoke about their individual struggles, saying they couldn’t get answers elsewhere.

One woman’s yard had been bulldozed to protect her house from the fire, but her insurer told her that damage wouldn’t be covered. A man wanted confirmation that the Waterways neighbourhood would be rebuilt so he could begin working with his insurer on his own home. Another man whose home burned down wanted to know how he could retrieve undamaged equipment from inside the restricted area. Told by officials to call the municipality, others in the crowd called out that no one would take their calls.

“Hire more people,” someone yelled from the audience.

Through it all, Blake and councillors listened, answering some questions, but deferring others.

Blake advised people to be patient and get in contact with the municipality and said someone would get back to residents about their concerns.

pparsons@postmedia.com

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