In the past 10 days, there’s been more rekindling of the fires around Fort McMurray forcing more emergency evacuations. Thankfully, the weather is now changing with moisture expected to continue this week.
On May 17th, police officers advised CRU adjusters to leave our field office and adjuster staging area immediately due to quickly approaching wild fires. Like the 88,000 resident evacuees, our team retreated with only the clothes on their backs. They drove northward to the First Nations community in Fort McKay, which is home to approximately 600 people. In the amazing Canadian tradition of community caring, the Fort Mckay people welcomed over 1000 evacuees’ that day, offering them food and shelter. While they continued to accept evacuees, Fort Mckay was also being threatened by the fires, eventually forcing the evacuation of most of that area. After participating with serving breakfast, the CRU adjusters helped douse the community’s roofs with water and create a firebreak.
“It was quite intense”, said Jeffrey A Conrad – CRU Field Adjuster, “in those life threatening situations, you do what you can to help those around you”. Specializing in disaster response, CRU adjusters witness devastation first hand. The Fort Mac wildfires rank amongst the worse we’ve seen, on par with the confusion and complexity of a regionalized earthquake. Every property has a claim, with a wide range between food loss/ALE to total destruction. The day to day planning and challenges are numerous; from finding an escape route to finding gas to keeping updated with the massive amount of changing information coming out everyday that impacts the residents and their expectations. In events of this magnitude, emotions run high, and adjusters are humbled and grateful to offer whatever assistance they can to begin the process of moving forward. Although many in our industry have seen a lot of catastrophic events, we know that you’re never desensitized to human suffering and the frustrations of getting back to what we think of as a ‘normal’ life.
Thankfully no one was injured in the amazing evacuation of so many people. As our CRU Adjusters return to our Field Operations Center, we are preparing to assess properties and begin the process of meeting with insured to address their unique needs. The goal, as always, is to expedite the process for the victims to begin the work of rebuilding their lives.
About CRU Adjusters
Founded in 2004, Catastrophe Response Unit, Inc. (CRU), also known as CRU Adjusters, is an independent adjusting firm specializing in customized claims handling solutions in Canada. In addition, CRU expanded claims services into the United States through our sister company Catastrophe Response Unit USA, Inc. (CRU-USA). CRU and CRU-USA provide staffing solutions and claims management services for the Property & Casualty insurance industry across North America. Led by a highly respected and experienced team of insurance executives, CRU leads by example bringing an exceptional level of quality and service to the industry.
For more information, please contact Kim Roudebush at Tel: 647.694.2988 or kroudebush@cruadjusters.com
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