Ft. McMurray evacuated

[Grand Mal]

The city is burning, wildfires blowing across the countryside.

Wildfire rages in Fort McMurray as evacuees settle in Edmonton - Edmonton - CBC News

Tens of thousands of people evacuated, most into Edmonton.

 

[longview]

The city is burning, wildfires blowing across the countryside.

Wildfire rages in Fort McMurray as evacuees settle in Edmonton - Edmonton - CBC News

Tens of thousands of people evacuated, most into Edmonton.

That is not good news, the area was already suffering from low oil prices.

 

[joG]

The city is burning, wildfires blowing across the countryside.

Wildfire rages in Fort McMurray as evacuees settle in Edmonton - Edmonton - CBC News

Tens of thousands of people evacuated, most into Edmonton.

To Edmonton? Then let's hope it doesn't go up in flames.

 

[RetiredUSN]

My thoughts are with all the people up there. Sad to see this.

 

[mike2810]

Scroll down , has a good article on the fire.

Wildfire Today – News and opinion about wildland fire

 

[Grand Mal]

My thoughts are with all the people up there. Sad to see this.

Gas stations ran dry, for awhile both sides of the highway were full of southbound traffic. People in small towns not threatened by the fires yet are wondering about bridges, the only way out being south.
I'm wondering about the tar sands plants, tank farms, refineries, etc.

 

[Carjosse]

Gas stations ran dry, for awhile both sides of the highway were full of southbound traffic. People in small towns not threatened by the fires yet are wondering about bridges, the only way out being south.
I'm wondering about the tar sands plants, tank farms, refineries, etc.

That is what i would be worried about, the fires reaching the oil facilities and not only damaging the property but permanently destroying the environment. I am honestly surprised that Alberta has not declared a state of emergency.

 

[longview]

There just are not a lot of roads into and out of Fort Mcmurray.
I hope those who are evacuating, can do so safely.

 

[Threegoofs]

That is not good news, the area was already suffering from low oil prices.

How ironic.

Destructive Wildfire near Canada's Oil Sands May Have Been Fueled by Global Warming - Scientific American

 

[longview]

How ironic.

Destructive Wildfire near Canada's Oil Sands May Have Been Fueled by Global Warming - Scientific American

Destructive Wildfire near Canada's Oil Sands May Have Been Fueled by Global Warming.
It actually sounds more like a El Nino related weather event.
From your article,

Climate change has been altering background conditions, but this year’s El Niño also likely played a role in this particularly severe start to wildfire season in western Canada.

 

[Carjosse]

There just are not a lot of roads into and out of Fort Mcmurray.
I hope those who are evacuating, can do so safely.

At least it also has a fair sized airport.

 

[Grand Mal]

1,600 buildings burned so far.

1,600 structures lost in Fort McMurray as fire consuming city grows to 10,000 hectares | National Post
"Officials estimate 17,000 citizens fled north to industry sites. Another 35,000 headed south, including 18,000 people enroute to Edmonton."

 

[jmotivator]

That is what i would be worried about, the fires reaching the oil facilities and not only damaging the property but permanently destroying the environment. I am honestly surprised that Alberta has not declared a state of emergency.

I don't think there is much chance of that happening. Those facilities usually have wide firebreaks between the edge of the woods and the facilities, and numerous fire control systems.

 

[Carjosse]

I don't think there is much chance of that happening. Those facilities usually have wide firebreaks between the edge of the woods and the facilities, and numerous fire control systems.

Yeah but those only last for so long the fire could eventually reach them.

 

[Thoreau72]

Such a shame, global warming is a factor. The satellite shot of the heat content showed it hotter in Canada than it was here in Florida. :shock:

 

[jmotivator]

Yeah but those only last for so long the fire could eventually reach them.

Not if there is no fuel. Look at the layout of the Ft. McMurray oil sands site:

Where would the fire approach from? There are not much threat of a fire jumping the river.

 

[Grand Mal]

Not if there is no fuel. Look at the layout of the Ft. McMurray oil sands site:

Where would the fire approach from? There are not much threat of a fire jumping the river.

That's one of them. Albion, maybe, or Suncor. I don't think it's Syncrude. There's others too but the all probably have the same moonscape around them.
Last time I was there I was in a camp near Suncor on the other side of the hill from a settling pond that was so toxic it killed the birds who landed on it for any length of time. The solution was to fire an acetylene cannon at random intervals to stop the birds from getting too homey. Problem solved.

I wonder about the pits where the tar sand is mined. There's fuel there.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

That's one of them. Albion, maybe, or Suncor. I don't think it's Syncrude. There's others too but the all probably have the same moonscape around them.
Last time I was there I was in a camp near Suncor on the other side of the hill from a settling pond that was so toxic it killed the birds who landed on it for any length of time. The solution was to fire an acetylene cannon at random intervals to stop the birds from getting too homey. Problem solved.

I wonder about the pits where the tar sand is mined. There's fuel there.

That from the looks of it is the Suncor site. I have been on the red and white smoke stack and the larger concrete one. The buildings are metal and concrete. The Zuncor site will in my opinion be safe

 

[Grand Mal]

That from the looks of it is the Suncor site. I have been on the red and white smoke stack and the larger concrete one. The buildings are metal and concrete. The Zuncor site will in my opinion be safe

I was at Albion, mostly. Over a year of night shift- I looked like one of those blind fish that lives in a cave but my bank account was all round and bulgy.
Stayed in the Millennium camp by Suncor while I did a 5-week shut-down at Syncrude through the pipefitters union- I'm an Ironworker and they needed riggers.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

It has been years since I was there. Never was at the Syncrude or Albion sites

 

[Riveroaks]

The city is burning, wildfires blowing across the countryside.

Wildfire rages in Fort McMurray as evacuees settle in Edmonton - Edmonton - CBC News

Tens of thousands of people evacuated, most into Edmonton.

Yup we saw this on our news down here in the US. An incredibly big forest fire is going on up there.

Maybe Canadians should clear cut more ?!

 

[Grand Mal]

Yup we saw this on our news down here in the US. An incredibly big forest fire is going on up there.

Maybe Canadians should clear cut more ?!

I don't know if the bush up there is worth cutting- pulpwood, maybe, but to a west coaster like me, I didn't much in the way of good saw logs.
It's been very warm and very dry there. Might be a brutal fire season this year. Windy, too, which triples the problem.
Where I live, BC, it was pretty bad last year. I think they went through their projected budget by June of something.

 

[Riveroaks]

I don't know if the bush up there is worth cutting- pulpwood, maybe, but to a west coaster like me, I didn't much in the way of good saw logs.
It's been very warm and very dry there. Might be a brutal fire season this year. Windy, too, which triples the problem.
Where I live, BC, it was pretty bad last year. I think they went through their projected budget by June of something.

There are fools all over California who build cabins and vacation homes in the forests without clear cutting around it.

A forest is a fire just waiting to happen. Always has been. Always will be.

I hope the firefighters prevail. But in most cases just letting it burn is the best solution. Then it can't burn again -- at least not for another 100 years or so.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

The city is burning ~

Watched the news this morning, the likelihood of a whole city being burnt to the ground within days is just horrible. All those people who've built lives will have everything destroyed.

I hope there is support for the businesses and people badly affected by this?

 

[Riveroaks]

Watched the news this morning, the likelihood of a whole city being burnt to the ground within days is just horrible. All those people who've built lives will have everything destroyed.

I hope there is support for the businesses and people badly affected by this?

I think "what pure stupidity and lack of foresight and preparation".

But then, that's what I also thought of Dec 7, 1941 and Roosevelt (from reading about it).