By Chad Ingram

Published May 19 2016

A former Mindenite was among the thousands to flee Fort McMurray Alta. during a horrific wildfire that destroyed swaths of the city earlier this month.

Cameron Monk and his family left Fort McMurray on Tuesday May 3 when the government ordered the evacuation of some 60000 people from the area.

“Getting out he said it was just like a third-world country like the apocalypse” says his mother Donna  of Minden. “Black smoke ash. He used a lot of adjectives.”

Cameron 53 has been living in Fort McMurray for the past four years working for an oil company. He his wife and their two children are living temporarily in a Calgary condo attained through their insurance company.

“They’re safe” Donna says but explains the house they owned is not. “They owned a home. Past tense.”

She said Cameron surveyed the destruction of the family home through Google Earth.

“They left with the clothes on their backs.”

Donna says the family has been busy sorting out details with insurance utilities etc. It’s unclear whether Cameron will have a job to go back to or whether the family will stay in Fort McMurray.

“It depends on so many things” she says.

Donna had been aware of the wildfire through the media but was not aware of how severe it was until she heard from Cameron.

Having visited Fort McMurray she says the destruction is a shame because despite what some might envision the area was actually quite beautiful.

“It was surrounded by trees evergreens . . . it was quite nice” she says.