Deer Lake woman and family flee Fort McMurray wildfire on foot

A woman from Deer Lake and her young family are now safe from the wildfire rampaging through Fort McMurray, but it was only by the slimmest of margins they escaped on foot from their burning neighbourhood of Abasand.

"It was horrific. It literally was like the end of the world," Tara-Lee Decker recalled of the ordeal.

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Decker was at home alone with her 14-month-oldson and five-year-old daughter when the evacuation order came down Tuesday, with no time to even grab the essentials, like her daughter's respiratory medication.

My daughter was screaming, covering her face with a blanket,we knew we just had to get out of there.- Tara-Lee Decker

"We had to leave her medication.We had one rescue puffer as opposed to fourto fivedifferent medications she takes," Decker told CBC Radio'sCorner Brook Morning Show.

"We got to my vehicle, we could hardly see. There were flames almost hitting our backyard. We grabbed the animals, unfortunately we had to leave the cat behind," Decker said.

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As she pulled out, Decker said her husband managed to make his way through the chaos to join theirescape.

Make a run for it

With everyone else fleeing at the same time, theDeckers gotstuck in gridlock trying to get down over the hill that connects their neighbourhood to the rest of Fort McMurray, as the fire continued itsrelentless approach.

"We were terrified," said Decker.

"When we seen the flame at that point, and my daughter was screaming, covering her face with a blanket,we knew we just had to get out of there."

It was horrific. It was literally like the end of the world.- Tara-Lee Decker

A firefighter banged on theirwindow, telling them to get out of their vehicle and make a run for itbut with her daughter's respiratoryproblems, the billowing smoke was a big issue.

"She had a small blanket we tied, and made a bandanna-type breathing maskfor her face. It was horrific," Decker recalled.

"Ihad twotank tops on, Itook one off and Iripped a hole in it with my teeth for my son, so his eyes were showing but just his nose and mouth were covered.

"And we literally ran for our lives down the hill."

20-minute sprint

Decker and her husband took turns carrying their children as they raced down the hill, while Decker's brother ran alongside with the family's two large dogs.

"Your maternal instincts kick in, it was literally like an animal," said Decker.

"My goal was to keep them safe and get them from the hill."

After 20 minutes of runningtheygot the bottom of the hill, where afamily pulled over in their truck and theyallcrammed in to get further from the flames, to where Decker's mother-in-law was waiting with her vehicle.

What happens next?

The Deckersheaded to a workcamp southeast of the city in Conklin, pulling in around 3 a.m.

Your maternal instincts kick in, it was literally like an animal.- Tara-Lee Decker

"Alady came and took us in with open arms," Decker said. "It's heartwarming, it's fantastic."

The family was given a large cabin and are now resting up after their ordeal, with plans to head to Edmonton in order to get medication, car seatsand the other basic necessities now lost.

Decker said she receivedconfirmation the family'shome was "flattened," and she suspects the vehicle they fled in has been similarly torched.

So what happens after the next few days is anyone's guess.

"We have no idea," said Decker.