By Geoff Smith

Battlefords father keeping in touch with daughter escaping the Fort McMurray blaze

May 4, 2016 | 1:13 PM

North Battleford’s Barney Folkersen is a worried parent, as he watches for updates on the wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta.

Folkersen’s daughter Jennifer lives in city which was completely evacuated yesterday, May 3, due to a wildfire that entered the city. Barney said his daughter was able to leave in time Tuesday to pack a few things. She told him at 2 p.m. that it was smoky but otherwise fine in the city. Half an hour later they were leaving.

“They were going to go south, to come home to North Battleford, and stay with us. But by the time she got ready to leave, there was no leaving going south on Highway 63, so she didn’t know quite what to do,” Barney said Wednesday morning. He says a friend at Fort McKay, north of Fort McMurray took Jennifer in.

“It’s a good thing she left when she did, because half an hour later (with) the traffic, she wouldn’t have got out of there,” he said. Jennifer had time to pack some food and clothes and a friend had jerry cans with gas.

“Just look at the footage of the fire there, it’s surrounding the whole city,” he said.

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Barney says his daughter’s home is in the Timberlea neighbourhood, which appears to have not been burned, unlike the adjacent Thickwood subdivision. He said the smoke was apparently so thick no one could see. Jennifer plans to head South today, but is concerned about finding a nearby gas station.

Barney, however, is just relieved his daughter and her two young sons are safe.

He says they’ve been talking on the phone about every half hour.

gsmith@jpgb.ca

Twitter: @smithco