Entire city forced to evacuate because of wildfire

[treehugger]

So, we get wildfires up here in Alberta all the time, but this is the largest fire evacuation of people in the history of the province.  The entire city of Fort McMurray (60,000+ people) has been evacuated because of a massive, out-of-control wildfire.  This spring has been a record-breaking dry, hot spring - and I can't believe we are already dealing with a wildfire of this magnitude - usually in May we still have several feet of snow on the ground.  While I don't love our Alberta oilsands, I am heart-broken for the people and who have lost everything.  

It is a really remote city - with only one highway (parts of it only 2 lanes) going through it, so there was a horrible gridlock during the evacuation.  I hope everyone gets out safely.  

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/wildfire-rages-in-fort-mcmurray-as-evacuees-settle-in-edmonton-1.3565573

[caszandra]

The news here this morning had an interview with a woman who had lost everything, I felt for her and all the other residents who are faced with the same thing. Like you @treehugger I hope everyone gets out safely and the fire service get the blaze under control soon.

[MyMilkshake]

Watched the footage on CBC last night and been following all day. I don't scare easily but having to crawl a vehicle through gridlock with huge flames burning right next to the highway would terrify me. My heart goes out to anyone in Fort Mac going through this.

[bashfulpixie]

Those fires are horrifying.  Wildfires scare me.  Most natural disasters do, because you don't see them coming usually.  But fires especially because they seem the most fickle- a little wind and it can change course in a heartbeat.

[Maggie Mae]

3 hours ago, bashfulpixie said:

Those fires are horrifying.  Wildfires scare me.  Most natural disasters do, because you don't see them coming usually.  But fires especially because they seem the most fickle- a little wind and it can change course in a heartbeat.

Wildfires scare me too, and while some are started naturally, some are also human caused. We had one last year that was devastating. Turned out it was some idiots ignoring the burn bans.  I'm slightly more terrified of another big earthquake, and tsunami. Just because there is no warning. 

I feel for you Fort McMurry. I hope all the people and animals were able to escape and find a safe place to stay. 

 

[bashfulpixie]

34 minutes ago, Maggie Mae said:

Wildfires scare me too, and while some are started naturally, some are also human caused. We had one last year that was devastating. Turned out it was some idiots ignoring the burn bans.  I'm slightly more terrified of another big earthquake, and tsunami. Just because there is no warning. 

I feel for you Fort McMurry. I hope all the people and animals were able to escape and find a safe place to stay. 

 

We get Wildfires down here in Florida too, but I've never been closer than 25-30 miles away from them.  So it was mostly smoke and some ash.  The natural disaster I'm most fearful of is hurricanes.  The nice thing (if you can say such a thing) is that we get more warning warning than other disasters to either batten down the hatches or get the hell out of dodge.  Which means things that are irreplaceable like pets, people and sentimental keepsakes are more likely to survive.

[47of74]

Yeah I hope everyone gets out safely too.

I have two friends who live up in Alberta who I met during the Great 47of74 2012 Turkey Excursion.  I asked them if they were doing OK in light of the fires.  They're OK, they live about 700 KM south in Lethbridge.  They said even down where they live the mountains appear hazy because of the smoke from Fort McMurray. 

 

[TeaGrannie]

Fire is still out of control. Luckily there are now pet rescues under way. It's heart breaking.

I spoke to a lady on the phone at my office today that was an evacuee. She kept apologizing for not being able to focus and answer what I asked. I assured her it was no issue and I had all the time she required. She had a business there she was checking on that day. Her daughter and the daughters family are believed to have lost everything.

[Tiny Bubbles]

It's heartwarming how disasters can bring out the best in people. A ccording yo Canadian news media, a collection of recent (5 months ago!!) refugees from Syria now settled in Calgary, Alberta, have contributed to help the people of Fort McMurray, Alberta,  who had to evacuate their city.  The Syrian refugees said they had just been through losing their homes and knew what it felt like and wanted to help.   

And First Nations nearby were offering free gas to people fleeing the city.

Amazing. People can be just plain amazing, y'all.  

[MyMilkshake]

So many emotions. It's so devastating. So many left with nothing.

It's amazing nobody died from fire when you see the videos of people trying to drive through raging fire and embers showering down. To evacuate 88,000 people is no small task. I'm so impressed with how Alberta's Emergency Response people have coordinated everything..it really is impressive.

And the huge outpouring of support from individuals and companies is AMAZING. I have been moved to tears reading so many stories of people being so helpful and kind. There are still a lot of good people in the world!


I started out in the west and now I'm living on the east coast and I feel so helpless watching this unfold. We've donated to the Red Cross and trying to think of other things we could do to be helpful from NB. I don't consider myself religious but I am praying for rain for BC & AB since they say only rain and lots of it can stop this fire.

[SPHASH]

My thoughts and prayers for the people of Fort McMurray.

[Scottie]

@treehugger As a fellow Albertan, this is truly heart wrenching, I feel for everyone who is effected by this, it is terrifying.  I think everyone in Alberta knows someone who works/lives in Fort Mac so it seems to hit really close to home even down here in Calgary. I was talking to a woman on Saturday who was telling me that her son lost his house and all of his possessions in the fire, but she was just grateful that she had him and his family safely under her roof for the moment. 

[treehugger]

Yes.  My husband worked in the patch for several years before all the layoffs.  He spent a lot of time in Fort Mac and surrounding areas.  It's sobering to look at the pictures and realize we have our own refugees now who are bunking in cots on floors by large numbers.  It really can happen anywhere.  

I am just amazed at how well the evacuation went.  And everyone all over the province and country are being so helpful and supportive.  It's really beautiful to see humanity working together for good.  

[samira_catlover]

May the Dear Blessed Eternal (and pick your own Holy Names as needed, ok?--punt if you have to) be with those poor folk and give protection and comfort.

May all the living beings around there (**blesses kittycats and dogs and moles and mice and birds and opossums and squirrels and rabbits and, heck, EVERYTHING**) escape terror and death.

May all the refugees, 2- or 4-footed, or winged, have safe harbor, and be able to make good homes again!

May the Blessed One shower down millions of blessings upon everyone who sends a bit of money/goods for helping rebuild---and, by the way, there are undoubtedly a BUNCH of firefighters who can use prayers, hopes, good energy, blessings, and everything to keep them SAFE while they protect others.

[Arete]

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.  Houses can be replaced, businesses can be rebuilt.  People and animals are irreplaceable.

[Destiny]

I live in a wildland fire zone. Houses on my street burned in the last wildfire. I know a thing or two about how scary it can be. I'm so sorry you guys are going through this. Just the pictures of the decimated neighbourhoods were enough to have me in tears. Sending good thoughts for all living things affected.

[devoe364]

My Uncle lived in Fort Mac from the late 1970s until the early 1990s. I remember visiting him when I was quite young. Just this year, he had a street named after him - Hodgins Avenue. There have been some tragedies (a car accident during the evacuation killed one of a set of triplets and their mother or step mother I believe) however, Hillberg & Berk in Edmonton gave evacuee moms free earrings for Mother's Day.

There was also a job fair in Edmonton for a company looking for 150-200 workers for disaster restoration. Much as this is horrible, this disaster may kick start a bit of an economic revival in the rebuild process, and Alberta desperately needs that. 

I'm concerned for the students who have to write PATs. Diploma Exams for Grade 12 students from Fort Mac have been waived, but students in Grades 3, 6 & 9 are required to complete standardized tests in order to move forward. The tests are intense and the results are published in the news in Alberta.I haven't been able to find an answer to whether or not these are being waived for the kids of Fort Mac.