Fort McMurray homes destroyed as wildfire forces mandatory evacuations orders

Scary.

Really sad for an area hit so hard recently economically. I hope everyone stays safe and that relief is quick and everything is under control soon.

The fire season could be worse this summer than last. We're looking at highs of close to 30°C tomorrow. SFA for snow and rain....might move closer to the lake just to feel safer

The authorities in Alberta ought to call on California to send aircraft - we actually have the whole fleet ready to go early for a change and due to the rains we're probably a month or two out from needing them.

I always wondered how wide a path you would need to clear-cut in order for a forest fire not to jump it. I know the winds can carry embers pretty far but is there an actual way to grid off a forested area so that fires become isolated, the way they would with dense brush and grass ?

During the worst part of the fire season in southern California, strong Santa Ana winds will blow carpets of burning embers across eight-lane freeways. During the 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park, hot embers managed to cross the Lewis Canyon, a natural canyon up to a mile wide and 600 feet (180 m) deep.[citation needed] In Australia, firebreaks are less effective against eucalyptus forest fires, since intense fires in tinder-dry eucalyptus forest spread through flying embers, which can be carried by the winds to trigger new blazes several kilometres away.

So it may not be practical to build preventative firebreaks around towns. Also people want trees on their properties for shade etc.

"The fire is now threatening Abasand and Grayling Terrace."

Holy shit! I had a house in Gregoire, and condo in Abasand - and they are on opposite sides of the city!

Gregoire is out by the lake, past the Airport to the east, Abasand in in the South West! Most of those forests have never been logged, and they don't do preventative burning on them. It'll be a bad, bad situation.

Slave lake, here we come!

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Scary shit.

I feel for those guys. First year I lived there, there was a fire south of town. Some people ran the highway anyhow, and when they got to the city, the paint on one side of the vehicle was melted and blistered.

Some of those pics are taken from near where I had a condo! Fuuuuuuuuu . . . .

I thought Slave Lake also evacuated? Anything left to burn there?

I feel for those guys. First year I lived there, there was a fire south of town. Some people ran the highway anyhow, and when they got to the city, the paint on one side of the vehicle was melted and blistered.

Some of those pics are taken from near where I had a condo! Fuuuuuuuuu . . . .
Hopefully things were learned from Slave Lake in how to evacuate but there are reports some people refuse to leave their homes not sure if I could.

I feel for those guys. First year I lived there, there was a fire south of town. Some people ran the highway anyhow, and when they got to the city, the paint on one side of the vehicle was melted and blistered.

Some of those pics are taken from near where I had a condo! Fuuuuuuuuu . . . .
Hopefully things were learned from Slave Lake in how to evacuate but there are reports some people refuse to leave their homes not sure if I could.

When I live in Fort Mac, I had an alternate exit not only for Syncrude, but for Abasand as well. Had to use the alternate exit at the plant once when a high pressure vessel ruptured and spewed crude oil all over the atco trailer where I worked. The pressure vessel was right beside the only exit. Luckily they opened up the gate at my 'alternate' exit so I didn't have to crash the fence with the van to get out.

Trust me, when you see a wall of flame coming at you, you quickly decide it's only 'stuff' . . .let it burn!

Further - I may not have explained that - Abasand is on a hill. There is only one road in or out. But if you go West, down some trails wide enough for a car, you come to a cutline with a number of oil pipelines that run south. You can follow it, and make a left at the right time and come out near a golf course by the highway.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Ft Mac Fires.jpg