Leading Through the Flames: The Fort McMurray Wildfires

In May 2016, the unthinkable happened: a massive wildfire – later nicknamed “The Beast” – swept into Fort McMurray, Alberta, triggering the largest evacuation in the province’s history. Over 88,000 people fled, entire neighborhoods were reduced to ashes, and the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history was etched into memory.

Today, Fort McMurray isn’t just a story of survival — it’s a story of resilience, rebuilding, and reimagining how communities prepare for disaster.

In this episode of Critical Response: A Disaster Podcast, we sit down with Jody Butz, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Jody was on the frontlines during the wildfire as a key emergency responder and has since led transformational changes in how Fort McMurray approaches emergency ma ...