Teen rides horse to safety amid Fort McMurray fire

Sunday, May 8, 2016, 5:16 PM -

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Last Tuesday, the devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta. took a turn for the worse.

With mandatory evacuations in place and fire blocking one of the two routes out of town, traffic piled up quickly.

The day before, the Polem family had moved their three horses to the south of the city, in an area they thought would be safe. But winds shifted, putting the animals in danger once more.

“We were waiting for trailers to come back to pick up my horse, but it became impossible for them to get through,” 16-year-old Jada Polem told Metro News. 

Polem's father was able to get two horses onto a trailer, but there was no room for Jada's horse Mya.

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According to Metro, horses can be nervous in traffic, but Jada had no choice but to ride her to safety.

 “She was a little nervous,” she told the news agency. “But she handled it really well. I’m pretty sure she knew what was going on."

It took Jada and Mya about 4 hours to make the 15-kilometre trek to safety. Everyone -- including the three horses -- are now safe.

Now, the Polems are waiting to hear if their home survived the fire.

Source: Metro

Watch more: Fort McMurray fire creating weather of its own. Here's how