Staying in Fort McMurray not an option for some Islanders

Islanders are among the thousands of people returning to Fort McMurray this week after being forced out by wildfires a month ago. 

Some said their first glimpse of home brought back memories they'd rather forget. 

"About every five minutes, you have a helicopter going over your head, so it's kind of like a war zone. It's really eerie," said Kellylee Dennis.

• As thousands head home to Fort McMurray, hundreds more are there to help
• Fort McMurray youth feel guilty for taking town for granted before fires

Dennis is originally from the Tyne Valley area and works for a company in Fort McMurray that rents out apartments. 

She was able to return to the city a bit earlier to help tenants move back into their homes and said there's lots of work for the weeks ahead. 

"We have a lot of fire damage and we've had some vandalism," she said. "Our glass doors have been smashed going into the buildings."

Returning home

Wednesday was the first day back for many residents, who've been stranded in other locations for a month after fleeing the fire zone. 

The plan is for residents to return in waves over the next few days. 

But Dennis says she doesn't agree with that timeline. 

"I think it's too early," she said.

She adds businesses needed more time to prepare and help people resettle. 

"Right now, we're not ready for them. Some people want to come back into their houses and they can't get into their homes." 

Not staying

Tommy Sullivan said staying there isn't an option right now. 

Sullivan is from Earnscliffe, P.E.I., and teaches at a school north of Fort McMurray. 

He and his wife, Anna own a condo in the city.

"We're leaving. We're not coming back here until there's basically full services. We'll probably try to hire someone to clean out the unit for us." 

Sullivan said they're probably not the only ones. 

"From what we hear, everyone is kind of just doing what we're doing, looking and seeing and leaving."

In the meantime, they're planning to head east and possibly stay on P.E.I. until the schools reopen. 

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Best of Sea promotes Island seafood products
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Hundreds of dead fish on P.E.I.'s North Shore a natural occurrence