Skip to content

One year later: A look at the Fort McMurray wildfire and rebuild by the numbers

One year later: Fort McMurray fire by the numbers

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — It's been one year since a wildfire devastated parts of the northern Alberta city of Fort McMurray. Here is a look at the rebuild by the numbers:

1,595: Number of buildings and structures destroyed in the fire. Includes 2,579 dwelling units.

650: Approximate number of development permits issued by Fort McMurray since the fire, representing about 900 dwelling units.

222: Number of single-family homes started in the first three months of the year. Most starts in a three-month stretch since early 2008.

179: Number of homebuilders that have registered under new disclosure laws to do work in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

33: Approximate number of families living in rebuilt homes as of the start of April.

48,000: Roughly the total number of insurance claims expected to be processed. Includes 12,000 auto claims and 25,000 home claims.

$80,000: Average insurance payout per claim.

$3.8 billion: Estimated total payout in insurance claims.

9.8: Unemployment rate for the Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake area as of March 2016.

9.1: Unemployment rate for the Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake area as of March 2017.

600: Approximate decline in student numbers in public and Catholic schools for 2016-2017 year. Total enrolment slightly more than 11,000 between the two school systems.

1.5 million: Average barrels of oil per day produced from the oilsands before the fire.

3 million: Record high number of barrels per day produced from the oilsands in November, six months after the fire.

12,000: Estimated number of fridges and freezers that had to be replaced, according to Insurance Bureau of Canada.

$660,000: Median home price in March 2016 on 21 homes sold.

$560,000: Median sale price of the 45 single detached homes sold in March.

11: Number of single family vacant lots sold in March, at a median sale price of $156,000, compared with none sold in March 2016.

17.8: Total vacancy rate for Wood Buffalo as of October 2016. A year earlier it stood at 29.3 per cent.

29,068: Number of mental-health-related client contacts between May 10, 2016, and March 18, 2017, at Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health in Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo.

$189 million: Total amount of money donated to the Red Cross.

$134 million: Total value of donations that were matched by the federal and provincial governments.

$231 million: Total amount the Red Cross says it spent to support individuals and families.

$30 million: Total amount the Red Cross says it spent to support small businesses.

$50 million: Total amount the Red Cross says it spent to support community groups.

10,900: The number of plane and bus tickets the Red Cross booked to help people return home.

37,000: The number of cleanup kits handed out to returning evacuees.

6,000 per cent: The surge in social media traffic the Red Cross saw in the aftermath of the fire.

40: The number of volunteers required to manage the Red Cross social media accounts.

 

The Canadian Press