EAR FALLS, Ont. — Johnny Dodic began to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation at Red Lake when he found himself driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway leading south.
The lifetime resident of the mining town had stuffed his bags into his vehicle after getting a phone call from a family member Monday evening.
A forest fire that broke out a few hours earlier in the Madsen area of Red Lake was becoming a serious threat.
"We were watching the smoke from the house, and I thought they had it under control. Then my son gave me a call saying we might have to be evacuated. I said 'Oh no, not again,' " Dodic recalled in an interview Tuesday outside a reception centre in Ear Falls.
The phone call immediately brought back his memories of a 10-day-long fire emergency at Red Lake in May 1980, which saw the largest-ever peacetime aerial evacuation conducted by the Canadian military.
The event was documented years later in Fire People: Red 14.
"It was a little different this time though," Dodic said. "We got a chance to pack our bags. I got in my vehicle, picked my son up, and we started heading down the highway."
He said he felt relatively relaxed about things until they got farther along and caught up to what turned out to be a massive convoy.
"It went on for miles and miles. Then it started sinking in. This is getting pretty serious," Dodic said.
As they approached Ear Falls, they came almost to a standstill, waiting over an hour to travel just two kilometres.
Finally, they were greeted by OPP and volunteers at a registration area where they were asked about their destination.
That goal, too, soon become a problem.
After making some phone calls, the pair realized no accommodation was available in places such as Dryden and Kenora.
"All the hotels were full, all the camps around Ear Falls were full. But I want to thank the people at Ear Falls for reaching out and welcoming the people from Red Lake, and opening up their doors for us," Dodic said.
He said it shows how residents of Northwestern Ontario support each other in times of need. "When something happens, everyone helps each other out. And that's what I'm proud of."
Dodic is also thinking of the people who have decided to remain in Red Lake as long as they can, including one of his best friends.
He said the man owns a gas station and store, has sent his family to safety, but is staying behind for now to make sure firefighters and others who need supplies are looked after.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Dodic said, should be commended for the efforts it's making to save Red Lake from devastation.
"Because I was in this situation, which was a little bit worse, in 1980, I know we're looked after. I don't think people realize the protection they give us," he said.
"That's what our taxes go to, and it keeps us safe. My hat goes off to the MNR."
