Fort McMurray Wildfires - Thousands Evacuated

  • Thread starter Pupik
  • 13 comments
  • 936 views
Pupik

Pupik

dig the bolts in my neck
Staff Emeritus
19,675
United States
Alabamamania
A combination of dry weather and hot temperatures has caused wildfires and the evacuation of approximately 60,000 individuals. Fort McMurray is a remote city in northeastern Alberta, in the heart of the Oil Sands area of Canada.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/live-blog-fort-mcmurray-wildfire-1.3565398

Downright scary...I was just there a year ago, and the situation looks dire. Thankfully, there's been no injury nor loss of life at this time.

ChlCC7GXAAEiXoM.jpg
 
Yeah, I'm now watching the news about this wildfire that arose in Canada on BBC world news.... So horrendous and mournful to see this kind of natural tragedy has to be repeated anew, yet I think it's no wonder it's being more and more liable for us to have such kind of huge fire due to unusual weather patterns caused by global warming. :(

I hope there would be no casualties by this if not no "injuries" at all.
 
dxm8975
unusual weather patterns caused by global warming.
Click to expand...

Not entirely true, it's most likely caused by El Nino, which is afaik, likely to be caused by global warming, yet the emphasis here is definitely on "likely". But then, I don't know if droughts are common in the state of Alberta.

Anyways, I hope that no one gets seriously hurt, it's always sad to something like this happen.
Also, there's always some quite eerie about photos of car driving through burning or burned down forests.
 
So the entire city is evacuated. Several neighborhoods are nearly entirely destroyed. Many businesses have also been leveled.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...ldfire-pushed-back-even-as-temperatures-climb

uploaded-by-carson-jerema-email-cjeremaedmontonjourna.jpeg


With all that, there's also plenty of endearing stories coming in about how folks were donating gas, supplies, offering shelter, and food in nearby communities without a second thought.

One question, though? Do the natural oils in the soil make objects that much more combustible? The town site did have a fair bit of dirt and dust around, but I definitely can't say for sure that that might accelerate a wildfire.
 
Last edited:
Crazy stuff. Lots of people I know in Halifax with family out in Fort McMurray, insane how quickly the fire spread.
 
From the footage I have seen on the news it literally looks what I could only imagine Hell looks like. Thankfully no one so far appears to have been injured.

Pupik
One question, though? Do the natural oils in the soil make objects that much more combustible? The town site did have a fair bit of dirt and dust around, but I definitely can't say for sure that that might accelerate a wildfire.
Click to expand...

That's a good question, the area is known for Oil extraction from sand and I have to wonder if the ground can literally ignite under these conditions.
 
Robin.
From the footage I have seen on the news it literally looks what I could only imagine Hell looks like. Thankfully no one so far appears to have been injured.

That's a good question, the area is known for Oil extraction from sand and I have to wonder if the ground can literally ignite under these conditions.
Click to expand...

Oil sand, no. It's very difficult to set fire to wet/solid oil, it's the vapour that's flammable and any vapour at ground level will naturally dissipate, at least in those concentrations. The associated equipment... that's a different matter. Source.
 
It looks like something from a post-apocalypse setting.:eek:

Also...

pointless.JPG


Keith Doyle better have some good sources.:lol:
 
Sad news. Huge devastation for the people and wildlife of Fort McMurray. My thoughts are with them.
 







Unbelievable stuff. I've driven through some roads that were within a close vicinity of a forest fire, but never in the middle of one. Looks like something right out of a Call of Duty cutscene. To see your own house and city be threatened with destruction is a truly terrifying idea.

I hope I'm not breaking any AUP rules here, but here's a link for donating to the Canadian Red Cross to support those affected by the fire.
 

Latest Posts

Back