Fort McMurray fire chief Darby Allen welcomes residents home

As dawn broke on the day after Fort McMurray was evacuated, fire chief Darby Allen feared the worst.

The wildfire known as "The Beast" was only growing stronger, and he didn't know what would be left of the abandoned northern Alberta city.

"I'll be honest, I thought we would find that we had 40 or 50 per cent lost, just because of the significance of the fire," Allen said. "To find out what the people had done and what they'd saved, due to incredible human efforts, was both gratifying and heartwarming."

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The man who orchestrated the battle with The Beasthas been back in the city for five days now, after a well-deserved break.

On Wednesday, as about 15,000 people were expected to returnto their homes on the first day of the re-entry plan, he hada chance to look around at what his team managed to save about 80 per cent of the structures in Fort McMurray.

Firefighters savedmost of the homes, butat a cost, saidAllen, chief of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray. After the traumatic, seemingly endless fight to save the city, some of his firefighters "aren't doing great," he admitted.

But they've receivedconstant support from him and each other not to mention the community as a whole.

We just want to welcome them and tell them that we're here for them and we're happy they'rehome.- Darby Allen, fire chief, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

As for the city itself, Allen said what matters most isnot just what remains standing, but that the 90,000 people who were forced to leave on May 3 got out safely, and now have a safe place to return to.

"The fact that we got that many people out in that time is a little bit of a miracle," he said. "We're blessed by that and we celebrate that. I've thought about that a lot, and will probably think about it a lot more in the future.

"We just want to welcome them and tell them that we're here for them and we're happy they'rehome."

Allen knows some residents might not yet feel comfortable returning to a city that will take months, maybe years of work to rebuild.

And that's OK, he said.

"If you're worried at all, then stay where you feel safe," Allen said. "I feel safe here, lots of people feel safe here. But that's a decision for you to make.

"When the time's ready for you, we'll be waving at you when you come in the city and welcoming you home again."