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Fort McMurray Alberta

lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
in A Moving Train
Entire town evacuated from wildfires ...

I know there are a few posters from Alberta on here ... Stay safe if your in the area.

Just google Fort Mac ... It's bad!
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
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Comments

  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Really bad.

    Hell on earth.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    For sure ... All the pictures and video from Fort Mac ... WOW
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Damn.

    We know all too well about that out here.

    I hope all in harm's way - whether or not members here - keep safe...themselves, their pets, and their homes.
  • oftenreadingoftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,845
    Luckily, it still seems that there are no fatalities, but the devastation is incredible. There may be nothing for the evacuees to go back to. What a horrible situation for those in the area.
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • 1ThoughtKnown1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    I lived in Fort McMurray for eleven years.. I am partly in shock and often moved to tears as I watch and hear the news.

    Tears of equal parts sadness and pride. Sad for my friends up there and proud of all Albertans and the rest of Canada for stepping up to help these people. No anti-oilsands shrill, just people wanting and willing to help people.

    My ex-wife and her children are safe, it has been an ordeal. When you talk to people who are involved it makes your stomach knot up. I can hardly eat or work, can you imagine being one of the evacuees? All of my friends and ex-coworkers are in a safe place but their world is turned upside down.

    Please, please, please... donate to the Red Cross (or another organization who will help these evacuees).
    Insurance will pay for the rebuild, these organizations will help these folks in the meantime.

    I know PJ fans are some of the most caring and empathetic people in the world and will step up to the plate. This is an unmitigated disaster...

    Cheers
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    1ThoughtKnown said:

    I lived in Fort McMurray for eleven years.. I am partly in shock and often moved to tears as I watch and hear the news.

    Tears of equal parts sadness and pride. Sad for my friends up there and proud of all Albertans and the rest of Canada for stepping up to help these people. No anti-oilsands shrill, just people wanting and willing to help people.

    My ex-wife and her children are safe, it has been an ordeal. When you talk to people who are involved it makes your stomach knot up. I can hardly eat or work, can you imagine being one of the evacuees? All of my friends and ex-coworkers are in a safe place but their world is turned upside down.

    Please, please, please... donate to the Red Cross (or another organization who will help these evacuees).
    Insurance will pay for the rebuild, these organizations will help these folks in the meantime.

    I know PJ fans are some of the most caring and empathetic people in the world and will step up to the plate. This is an unmitigated disaster...

    Cheers

    Glad to hear your doing well and your friends and family are doing well...tough times ahead for sure, but as I read on Twitter, and excuse me for not remembering who the quote was from, but here it is "we built Fort Mac once, we will rebuild those parts that need rebuilding"... Good luck and best wishes to all Albertans.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,343
    1ThoughtKnown said:

    I lived in Fort McMurray for eleven years.. I am partly in shock and often moved to tears as I watch and hear the news.

    Tears of equal parts sadness and pride. Sad for my friends up there and proud of all Albertans and the rest of Canada for stepping up to help these people. No anti-oilsands shrill, just people wanting and willing to help people.

    My ex-wife and her children are safe, it has been an ordeal. When you talk to people who are involved it makes your stomach knot up. I can hardly eat or work, can you imagine being one of the evacuees? All of my friends and ex-coworkers are in a safe place but their world is turned upside down.

    Please, please, please... donate to the Red Cross (or another organization who will help these evacuees).
    Insurance will pay for the rebuild, these organizations will help these folks in the meantime.

    I know PJ fans are some of the most caring and empathetic people in the world and will step up to the plate. This is an unmitigated disaster...

    Cheers

    Good thoughts going out for our Canadian neighbors.

    I just saw reports that this thing has gone to 210,000 acres. That's insane. We were horrified by the nearby King fire here last year at 97,717 acres and that's not even half the size of the Fort McMurray blaze. And it's so early in the fire season-- hard to imagine.

    Be safe northern neighbors.
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,995
    edited May 2016
    It's terrible. 80,000 people evacuated in a tiny period of time. All the footage of whole neighborhoods literally being forced to drive for their lives only feet from a raging wildfire - i am totally amazed and glad that no one appears to have been killed. Watching the videos, i thought they were going to burn to death in their cars! The amount of damage and the destruction is hard to fathom. And now 80,000 people are suddenly homeless because the whole city is unihabitable for for at least days. Not mention the thousands who lost homes. And then all the lost jobs... pets... What a nightmare.

    I mean, holy shit, these videos! And i've seen dozens of different scenes like this and worse, it's so scary!

    https://youtu.be/aC2iPvXAggM

    https://youtu.be/AOC5YGyoGDw
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,343
    ^^^ Unfreaking believable. It blows my mind that all those people got out Ok. I've driven near forest fires twice and its scary as hell but those were no where near this bad. Those people had to have been massively freaked out. Amazing that they seemed to keep cool and be orderly.

    Sadly, I heard there there has been one death from a car crash while fleeing the fire but it could easily have been more.

    And those guys out there directing traffic out there are amazing.
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • 1ThoughtKnown1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    ^^^

    The heroic efforts of the first responders... it just cannot be put into words.

    That they have saved all the city's critical infrastructure... just remarkable. Not out of the woods yet, it is another tough day with low humidity, high temps and wind.
    Mother nature needs to give them a break, they need rain.

    My friend found out today her house has been turned to ash. Sent me a picture. She is devastated.
    Reality is starting to set in for these folks...

    Kudos to Notley (our premier) for stepping up to the plate. I am impressed so far with her leadership in a very tough situation.
  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 39,581
    Any word about help from the U.S.? Thinking fire fighters and aircraft to to help quell this beast?

    This isnt intended to be a slag on that industry but a real concern, just how ,if at all, this fire encroaches on the fields?
    _____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________

    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    Fort McMurray fire now too large, too fierce to stop without rain

    http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/fort-mcmurray-fire-now-too-large-too-fierce-to-stop-without-rain

    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,995
    lukin2006 said:

    Fort McMurray fire now too large, too fierce to stop without rain

    http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/fort-mcmurray-fire-now-too-large-too-fierce-to-stop-without-rain

    And it doesn't sound like there is going to be any.

    I wonder how this is effecting operations at the Tar Sands? Seems like this must have shut them down completely.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,343
    This fire has come SO early in the fire year. I read that it is very dry in Alberta this year and more fires are likely to occur this summer (such a familiar situation as we had her in California last year). Is this kind of drought normal from time to time up north? Is this unprecedented or a normal, recurring situation?
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,995
    edited May 2016
    brianlux said:

    This fire has come SO early in the fire year. I read that it is very dry in Alberta this year and more fires are likely to occur this summer (such a familiar situation as we had her in California last year). Is this kind of drought normal from time to time up north? Is this unprecedented or a normal, recurring situation?

    No, it's not normal at all. There are many more fires in AB right now, and many in BC too. BC's firefighting resources are stretched so thin that the province can't even send help to AB, although a new huge fire that's been raging has just crossed the BC/AB border, and BC's fighters are following it in (which isn't normal). It's a really bad scene, and unprecedented, really. Of course there are always hundreds and hundreds of fires each summer in these provinces, so in that sense it's normal, but this is just so early in the year for the fire season to have started in earnest, and they seem more out of control.

    Check out the size of the McMurray fire compared to other cities. It's insane. And it has grown since this was posted. Bigger than all of Brooklyn, Queens, and half of Manhatten combined!!
    https://m.reddit.com/r/canada/comments/4i1vvv/the_fort_mcmurray_fire_is_85000_hectares_in_size/
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • FreeFree Posts: 3,562
    So sad. I have a cousin who lived there for 30 years and moved to Calgary 7 months ago. It's devastating.
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,343
    I was talking with some guys earlier today and we all agreed that none of us had heard anything about U.S. planes being sent to help dump water and fire retardant on the fire. Anybody know why that is or have we and I just haven't heard about it?
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 39,581
    brianlux said:

    I was talking with some guys earlier today and we all agreed that none of us had heard anything about U.S. planes being sent to help dump water and fire retardant on the fire. Anybody know why that is or have we and I just haven't heard about it?

    It takes a request to start and appoval for US aircraft to operate there. Other thing , we may not really be able to. Our own season is underway , we may not be able to spare any crews.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/science/wildfires-season-global-warming.html?_r=0
    _____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________

    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    You'd think the approval would go through quickly under such devastating circumstances. Maybe with the proviso that if they're needed back here, they return?

    Oh please, let it rain over there today...
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    brianlux said:

    I was talking with some guys earlier today and we all agreed that none of us had heard anything about U.S. planes being sent to help dump water and fire retardant on the fire. Anybody know why that is or have we and I just haven't heard about it?

    Maybe the US help is not needed ... I for one hope we ( Canada ) deal with this tragedy ourselves.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    edited May 2016
    1ThoughtKnown said:

    ^^^

    The heroic efforts of the first responders... it just cannot be put into words.

    That they have saved all the city's critical infrastructure... just remarkable. Not out of the woods yet, it is another tough day with low humidity, high temps and wind.
    Mother nature needs to give them a break, they need rain.

    My friend found out today her house has been turned to ash. Sent me a picture. She is devastated.
    Reality is starting to set in for these folks...

    Kudos to Notley (our premier) for stepping up to the plate. I am impressed so far with her leadership in a very tough situation.

    Thank you, thank you thank you, for saying this....I know you tend to lean right, so I respect that you are not part of the social media government mob.....There is such an incredible amount of partisan misinformation over the govt response on fb - its staggering....so many people using this tragedy to push their agenda. It's really depressing :frowning: I'm also freaked out by the number of threatening posts I've seen against environmentalists/idiots who have made hateful or inappropriate comments about the situation...I have no problem calling these people out - they deserve it....but there are viral posts circulating with screenshots of the offensive posts, with the writer's personal info in them, and angry threats in the comments....I wouldn't be surprised if it led to someone being hurt.

    I have been involved in a number of fair sized construction projects within the townsite of ft Mac, and two in the actual oilfields....haven't lived there or had any extended stays, but I know the town pretty well. With the downturn in oil, the working population was down, and the camps thousands evacuated to north of the city had a lot of vacancies....can't imagine how much worse things could have been - there is only one highway thru town - continues north and south. The videos pj soul posted are from people leaving to the south....that highway was closed for a few hours so a lot of people went north and are still stuck up there.
    The town of high level and county of lac st Anne were evacuated the same day because of different fires...
    We went through something similar (smaller scale) in Slave Lake in 2011....had a friend lose their house in that one. These fires are definitely extraordinary; I don't recall any thing like the slave lake / ft Mac fires in all the years I've lived here. People here like to joke that with our harsh winters, global warming isn't a bad thing for us.....I'm starting to wonder if we will be a scorched dustbowl in 50 years. Hardly any snow this year, mildest winter I can remember.....like so many regions, we need rain badly.
    The outpouring of support from my home town (Edmonton), the province, country, world, has been amazing....lots of really generous people out there, and heartwarming stories being told.
    Post edited by Drowned Out on
  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    edited May 2016
    Without trying to come across as dismissive- the folks in Alberta are up to their eyeballs in problems right now...

    BC is as dry as I can ever recall. April was as hot as I can ever remember. The forest trails where we mountain bike that are typically tacky are dust. Right now... in the first week of May... we are in late July condition.

    I think this summer is going to be a really challenging one for western Canada. Really really challenging.

    Fak.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,343
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    Without trying to come across as dismissive- the folks in Alberta are up to their eyeballs in problems right now...

    BC is as dry as I can ever recall. April was as hot as I can ever remember. The forest trails where we mountain bike that are typically tacky are dust. Right now... in the first week of May... we are in late July condition.

    I think this summer is going to be a really challenging one for western Canada. Really really challenging.

    Fak.

    BC too? Between the two provinces, that's an area the size of Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona- maybe throw in New Mexico. I din't realize the whole region was dry. Not good.
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    brianlux said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    Without trying to come across as dismissive- the folks in Alberta are up to their eyeballs in problems right now...

    BC is as dry as I can ever recall. April was as hot as I can ever remember. The forest trails where we mountain bike that are typically tacky are dust. Right now... in the first week of May... we are in late July condition.

    I think this summer is going to be a really challenging one for western Canada. Really really challenging.

    Fak.

    BC too? Between the two provinces, that's an area the size of Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona- maybe throw in New Mexico. I din't realize the whole region was dry. Not good.
    Yup.

    River levels are low too, Brian. Really low. Sunny days are fantastic, but we're all kinda hoping for a wet spell here and there. One big one... and then a few intermittent ones would be awesome.

    It'll be what it will be though. Time will tell how things will end up. For the FM people... wow... that scene is messed up. Those videos of people fleeing through the flames is f**ing mind blowing.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • AnnafalkAnnafalk Sweden Posts: 4,004
    edited May 2016
    This is unbelievably horrible, a whole city destroyed. More than 80.000 people being evacuated. I feel so sorry for all the people having to flee from their homes. I hope they get good help, to get through this. It seems like forest fires are getting more common because of the climate changes, we have one big fire going on right now also here.
    Post edited by Annafalk on
  • 1ThoughtKnown1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    Drowned Out said:

    1ThoughtKnown said:

    ^^^

    The heroic efforts of the first responders... it just cannot be put into words.

    That they have saved all the city's critical infrastructure... just remarkable. Not out of the woods yet, it is another tough day with low humidity, high temps and wind.
    Mother nature needs to give them a break, they need rain.

    My friend found out today her house has been turned to ash. Sent me a picture. She is devastated.
    Reality is starting to set in for these folks...

    Kudos to Notley (our premier) for stepping up to the plate. I am impressed so far with her leadership in a very tough situation.

    Thank you, thank you thank you, for saying this....I know you tend to lean right, so I respect that you are not part of the social media government mob.....There is such an incredible amount of partisan misinformation over the govt response on fb - its staggering....so many people using this tragedy to push their agenda. It's really depressing :frowning: I'm also freaked out by the number of threatening posts I've seen against environmentalists/idiots who have made hateful or inappropriate comments about the situation...I have no problem calling these people out - they deserve it....but there are viral posts circulating with screenshots of the offensive posts, with the writer's personal info in them, and angry threats in the comments....I wouldn't be surprised if it led to someone being hurt.

    I have been involved in a number of fair sized construction projects within the townsite of ft Mac, and two in the actual oilfields....haven't lived there or had any extended stays, but I know the town pretty well. With the downturn in oil, the working population was down, and the camps thousands evacuated to north of the city had a lot of vacancies....can't imagine how much worse things could have been - there is only one highway thru town - continues north and south. The videos pj soul posted are from people leaving to the south....that highway was closed for a few hours so a lot of people went north and are still stuck up there.
    The town of high level and county of lac st Anne were evacuated the same day because of different fires...
    We went through something similar (smaller scale) in Slave Lake in 2011....had a friend lose their house in that one. These fires are definitely extraordinary; I don't recall any thing like the slave lake / ft Mac fires in all the years I've lived here. People here like to joke that with our harsh winters, global warming isn't a bad thing for us.....I'm starting to wonder if we will be a scorched dustbowl in 50 years. Hardly any snow this year, mildest winter I can remember.....like so many regions, we need rain badly.
    The outpouring of support from my home town (Edmonton), the province, country, world, has been amazing....lots of really generous people out there, and heartwarming stories being told.
    This is a great post.
    This is not a time to push a political agenda, no matter which way you lean. I believe Trudeau should be in Lac La Biche and Edmonton shaking hands and kissing babies, but Albertans (especially Fort Mac) are strong people and will get through this.

    Now I don't have any social media outlet, but I have avoided reading the comments of ignorant people at the bottom of Internet stories because I want to maintain some faith in humanity.
    I can imagine there has been some sentiment from the environmental left that it is "karma" and that kind of nonsense.

    If you are one of those people, you should be ashamed of yourself. Being smug in this kind of situation is deplorable.
  • 1ThoughtKnown1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    Without trying to come across as dismissive- the folks in Alberta are up to their eyeballs in problems right now...

    BC is as dry as I can ever recall. April was as hot as I can ever remember. The forest trails where we mountain bike that are typically tacky are dust. Right now... in the first week of May... we are in late July condition.

    I think this summer is going to be a really challenging one for western Canada. Really really challenging.

    Fak.

    You are right thirty, I think BC, AB, and Sask are going to have a tough time keeping up with these fires. It could be a frightening summer.
  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    1Thought...

    I haven't heard anyone say anything anywhere that doesn't come across as support. Maybe I frequent the wrong places, but if anyone around here said anything along the lines of what you suggest... they'd be shredded.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • 1ThoughtKnown1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    1Thought...

    I haven't heard anyone say anything anywhere that doesn't come across as support. Maybe I frequent the wrong places, but if anyone around here said anything along the lines of what you suggest... they'd be shredded.

    Some of my co-workers have read some of that sentiment. In fact, a fellow who ran for the NDP in the provincial election (and lost) posted one word on Twitter. KARMA.
    He took it down, but that is just mind-boggling.

    No one on here has said anything like that. PJ fans are great people.
  • 1ThoughtKnown1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    Canadians have donated 30 million to the Red Cross in five days.
    I'm so proud it's making me cry....
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