A ‘roller-coaster of emotions’ for Fort McMurray man who lost home, won lottery
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Between May and December of last year, Chris Flett went through two life-changing events: his house burned down and he won the lottery.
Flett, 34, recalls fetching his daughter from school and rushing home to grab some of his belongings as a forest fire began to threaten his hometown of Fort McMurray.
The fire, nicknamed “the beast” for its ferocity and unpredictability, began burning deep in the bush about May 1 and spread into the northern Alberta city on May 3, forcing 88,000 people from their homes for a month or more.
In all, almost 2,600 dwellings were destroyed, including Flett’s house in the hard-hit Beacon Hill neighbourhood.