Often our brand loyalty blinds us. We get swept up in a desire to promote our love for our own diesel truck preference and we don’t always see the bigger picture. Regardless of the emblem on the front of your truck, there is a group of passionate diesel owners we can all appreciate who truly made a difference in the lives of those affected by the Fort McMurray wildfires in Alberta, Canada.
On May 3, nearly 90,000 people were evacuated to Edmonton, which at over four hours away is the closest major area. With only a few gas stations along the way, and thousands of evacuees trying to escape danger, many ran out of gas and were stranded along Highway 63.
“We all waited for authorities to step in and solve the problem,” posted Rhonda Bignell on her Facebook page. “We waited, not wanting to get in the way of the agencies that would be helping. We tried calling several agencies to see how we could help, to see what was being done. Nothing happened. People were now stranded on Highway 63 nearing 12 hours with their children and pets, on a very hot day, with no food or water. Stranded evacuees began asking for help on social media.”
A group on Facebook called Western Canadian Powerstrokes answered the call for help.
“We have 3,500-plus people in our WCP group and it didn't take long to get intel on how people who had minutes to evacuate out of a dead-end town and get 200-plus kilometers to safety were going to be running out of fuel as they were trying to evacuate, “says Jason Klapstein. “So we had guys buy fuel out of their own pocket, load up every form of slip tank or jerry can they had and run up and down the highway all night trying to get people further south.”
The group of proud Ford diesel owners arranged fuel tanker trucks and purchased fuel and water and other supplies and sent them to Highway 63. Word was, by the end of the day, the WCP group supplied over 16,000 gallons of fuel. Dozens and dozens of WCP members went out with fuel tidy tanks in the back of their trucks and would fill up at the tanker trucks and go to stranded vehicles.
“I have a large supply of empty slip tanks at my work so I met anyone who had an empty truck and wanted to help with two slip tanks per truck,” adds Klapstein. “Again fuel was paid out of pocket and we cleaned grocery stores out of water and food and then we headed north to help.”
Dozens more brought cases and cases of bottled water in the back of their trucks, towed cargo trailers of supplies, and towed horse trailers. Each time someone went out to Highway 63 to help out, they were looking at least a 500-mile round trip, according to Bignell. By the end of the second day all the stranded motorists were finally on their way. However, over the next several days WCP continued to supply free fuel to anyone heading south from Fort McMurray, no questions asked.
On day three of the evacuation, WCP realized pets and livestock weren't getting out of Fort McMurray since many people had to leave immediately from their work. Knowing so many animals would be out of food for days and running out of water, the WCP then became involved in helping rescue pets and livestock, and pushed for horse trailers to be able to get into the evacuation areas to rescue horses.
“I went 65 hours straight, eating on the run, driving through ditches, truck covered with ashes, burn marks in the paint as I ran fuel to fire trucks and coordinated additional fuel convoys to come refuel us as well as haul supplies,” says Klapstein. “I think between our team there wasn't a single fire truck that we didn't refuel at least once. Even after we left and got a night's rest it was back to organizing enclosed trailers and supplies for the evacuation centers as well as a few loads geared specifically for the fire fighters' needs.”
If this story sounds a little crazy or maybe a bit exaggerated, Bignell assures it is not. “Western Canadian Powerstrokes was the main presence on Highway 63,” says the British Columbia native. “Before the disaster I had never heard of WCP, but in the six days that people and animals were being evacuated from Fort McMurray, it was the only group I heard about that was providing assistance along Highway 63.”
“It's just how it went. The need was there and we answered,” confirms Nick Earle. “Not for fame, not for glory, or money or for karma. We just answered because it was the right thing to do and because only weak people would sit back and watch when something could be done.”
Every person and pet possible has now been evacuated from Fort McMurray and the city is now sealed with no one able to get in until the fires are out. When that will be, no one knows, but what is known is that without the help of the Western Canadian Powerstrokes group this tragic situation would surely have been a lot worse for those in this area.
The WCP is finished working in the fire zone and the larger agencies have finally got organized so now the group is focused on helping the evacuation centers as they fill their requests for more food and supplies.
Its times like these that regardless of which truck brand you prefer, it’s great to hear stories of courage and sacrifice from the diesel community that came together to help thousands evacuate to a safer area.
UPDATE: Bryce Dakin, the owner of WCP, took to Facebook to show his appreciation for the members of his group: