Fort McMurray wildfire threatens to double in size by day's end (includes videos)
Source: CBC News
Now covering 156,000 hectares, continues to grow to the northeast
Firefighters are once again preparing to battle with what Darby Allen, the Regional Fire Chief of Wood Buffalo, has been calling "the beast," Fort McMurray's out-of-control wildfire.
Officials worry the "the beast" a fire that has destroyed more than 1,600 homes and buildings and burned more than 101,000 hectares of forest will grow to over double its size by the time the sun sets.
"I do expect that there is a high potential that this fire could double in size by tomorrow," said Chad Morrison, senior wildfire manager for the province, on Friday.
"We have substantially extreme fire conditions in front of us still for the next two days."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-saturday-1.3571678
A badly damaged swing set sits in a residential neighborhood destroyed by the fire in Fort McMurray, which is still burning out of control. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Agony
(2,605 posts)and other climate change plutocrats.
She should be able to tell Warren to "cut it out" WRT to his 1/2 billion dollar investment in SUncor Tar Sands operations.
She should at least return the $25k in climate blood money he already gave her.
not holding my breath however since she has such a difficult time making appropriate timely decisions.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/berkshire-hathaway-sells-exxon-stake-but-buys-more-suncor-and-ibm-1.2961322
http://www.suncor.com/~/media/Images/Suncordotcom/Formatted-Banners/hands-cradling-bitumen-672x300.ashx?h=300&w=672&la=en-CA&hash=00ABA4972195F6126F8A61D3B033E4A19DAC4B07
Tess49
(1,577 posts)Agony
(2,605 posts)Ignoring massive investments in the dirtiest of fossil fuel development and accepting political donations and support from those elements is not leadership. It is irresponsible at best for a person asking to be made leader of the most influential nation on earth.
My Democratic Party is not blameless in this regard either
business as usual is not good enough
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)CLEAN Fracking - CLEAN Coal!!! Drill Baby Drill !!! Ma Earth will survive us even if we don't!
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)and homeless shanty to shanty (in a spread out area that held 88,000 people!). This is a convoy of some who drove through the city yesterday on the way south. They'd been relocated to an oil sands relocation area north of the city and then trapped there
http://i.cbc.ca/1.3569810.1462541379!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/convoy.jpg
Agony
(2,605 posts)This is a perfect example of why Democrats need to fight with a platform that includes strong support for a well funded government infrastructure and that repudiates the anti-science Trump-Cruz-Republican idiocy.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)aware that should a large-scale disaster occur preparation should have included moving to a blue northeast area.
Down here you're supposed to belong to a church and to turn to that church, and of course friends, for help. Good luck for that if the grid goes down and there's actually not even 2 days of food for everyone in the supermarkets.
Ideology that predates the development of billions of people living in wholly dependent giant urban areas really needs an update.
allan01
(1,950 posts)jtuck004
(15,882 posts)put out every fire, no matter what, until there is too much fuel?
OnlinePoker
(5,702 posts)Before major wildfire suppression programs, boreal forests historically burned on an average cycle ranging from 50 to 200 years as a result of lightning and human-caused wildfires, the panel found in a report released in 2012.
Wildfire suppression has significantly reduced the area burned in Albertas boreal forest. However, due to reduced wildfire activity, forests of Alberta are aging, which ultimately changes ecosystems and is beginning to increase the risk of large and potentially costly catastrophic wildfires.
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/albertas-aging-forests-increase-risk-of-catastrophic-fires-2012-report
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)Thank you.
Ptah
(32,983 posts)http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/smoke-from-alberta-fires-reaches-montana-rain-possible-into-weekend/article_3712acc8-3fe4-54ef-a66e-4242f092b2ef.html
Smoke from wildfires in Canada blew into the Billings area early Friday and the area's air quality has been downgraded to an "unhealthy" listing in response, while local health officials are cautioning residents to keep an eye on the air quality with spring outdoor sports season in full swing.
According to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Billings saw a peak hourly particulate concentration of 139 as of 7 a.m. By comparison, the particulate concentration was three at midnight, zero at 2 a.m. and 22 and 4 a.m.
By 9 a.m., the number had dropped to 91, which is still considered unhealthy.
The federal Air Quality Index said the unhealthy designation means the air likely won't affect healthy individuals, but could be of concern for others.
----------------
That's 900 miles away.
polly7
(20,582 posts)I got home earlier this morning and it looks to be the same today.
406-Boz
(53 posts)It's ugly here, my sinuses have been exploding for two days. Appears that northern Alberta is getting July weather in April/ early May. Climate change is going to grind us mammals.
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)suffragette
(12,232 posts)Two massive wildfires burning in northeastern B.C., including a large blaze that has crossed into Alberta, grew overnight Friday, as gusts of wind hampered firefighting efforts.
Fire information officer Noelle Kekula said Saturday that the Siphon Creek fire, burning several kilometres into Alberta, grew to an estimated 24,000 hectares late Friday, up from 17,000 hectares earlier in the day. However, she said firefighters believe it has grown even bigger overnight as wind fanned the flames and the fire spread on both sides of the provincial border.
It definitely grew overnight, she said. We wont have an updated estimate until tonight we know it has grown on both sides.
Kekula said the weather continued Saturday to be hot, dry and windy, with no sign of rain until Sunday.
Dangerous now and looks likely to be a bad summer.
GOPblows431
(51 posts)Stay strong, my Canadian friends.
Rhiannon12866
(202,970 posts)Planning is under way to allow evacuated Fort McMurray residents back home, but its unclear how long it will be before advances in fighting a massive wildfire opens the door to their return, a senior Alberta fire official said Saturday.
However, officials said they will be fighting the overall fire, expected to reach 300,000 hectares in size by days end Saturday, for months to come even if they make gains that allow the return of more than 80,000 residents to the northern Alberta city.
Its going to take quite a while for the wildfire fighters to actually get that under control, contain it, put it out, Scott Long, executive provincial operations director for the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, told a Saturday afternoon briefing in Edmonton.
Efforts to protect the community, including the downtown core and critical infrastructure like the airport, have been largely successful he said.
There is no time limit established yet on a re-entry, but re-entry planning has started, he said.
Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/blaze-will-take-months-to-extinguish-alberta-fire-official-says/article29933091/
Rhiannon12866
(202,970 posts)A massive wildfire nicknamed "the beast" has forced a work camp north of Fort McMurray housing first responders to evacuate Saturday night.
"This is an orderly and precautionary evacuation," Noralta, the company that runs the camp, said in a press release, adding that people in the area are "not in imminent danger." The announcement came at 6:30 p.m.
Earlier in the day authorities informed those staying at the camp they should be prepared to evacuate on two hours' notice.
Non-essential staff are currently being sent south of Fort McMurray to safe sites on buses. Some workers will be sent to Grey Wolf, another camp north of Fort McMurray.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-saturday-1.3571678
A member of Wildfire Management Alberta's Wild Mountain Unit out of Hinton, hoses down hotspots in the Parsons Creek area of Fort McMurray on May 6. (Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta/Reuters)
nitpicker
(7,153 posts)Canada wildfire: Alberta blaze threatens neighbouring province
2 hours ago
A huge wildfire raging in the Canadian province of Alberta is growing further and could spill into neighbouring Saskatchewan, officials say.
(snip)
The flames have already caused the evacuation of 80,000 people from the oil city of Fort McMurray, and thousands are still stuck to the north. Their evacuation, originally planned for Saturday, will now take place on Sunday.
(snip)
The wildfire now covers an area of more than 700 sq miles (2,000 sq km), which includes areas still ablaze and areas already burnt. It was being propelled by high winds to the north-east towards Saskatchewan and was expected to reach the province by the end of Saturday. Smoke from the fire has already spread there, and air quality statements have been issued for both Saskatchewan and North-West Territory.
(snip)
Rhiannon12866
(202,970 posts)Scruffy1
(3,239 posts)It smells smokey here and my eyes are watering. PP2 at around 100. Hopefully. the wind will shift, The under coverage by the media is criminal, but there is something (ironic)? about about one of the worlds worst greenhouse gas producers being destroyed by It's main product. Hoisted on its own petard?
Rhiannon12866
(202,970 posts)It has been one week since the Fort McMurray wildfire known as "the beast" reared its ugly head. It continues to grow and has set its sights on Saskatchewan.
Wind gusts of 40 to 70 km/h were expected in the region Sunday, and there was light rain, as part of a cold front that's moving into northern Alberta.
The winds will help fuel the flames and what little moisture there is should not bring much relief to those battling the fire.
The wildfire outside of Fort McMurray, once measured in football fields, now sits at more than 2,000 square kilometres, three times the size of Edmonton.
"It certainly will increase in size today, and it's still listed as out of control and the conditions are still very dry. We do have some difficult weather, some interesting weather, coming up," said Matthew Anderson, wildfire information officer with Alberta Agriculture, speaking from Edmonton on Sunday.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-fire-sunday-1.3572347
Service vehicles drive out of the wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, May 7, 2016. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)
The majority of vehicles and homes were destroyed in Fort McMurray's Beacon Hill neighbourhood. (Sylvain Bascaron/Radio-Canada)
Rhiannon12866
(202,970 posts)The Alberta government will release a plan to let people back into Fort McMurray and neighbouring communities in about two weeks, although some will be met with little more than burned bike frames in their backyards and reams of twisted iron scattered throughout their neighbourhoods.
Premier Rachel Notley, who toured Fort McMurray on Monday, said roughly 2,400 buildings in Fort McMurray have been damaged or destroyed. The hospital, municipal buildings and all of the schools, save for one under construction, have been saved. Most of the critical infrastructure remains, she told reporters in Fort McMurray.
We will be able to provide a schedule for return within two weeks, Ms. Notley told reporters at the emergency operations centre that is running out of the citys Firehall No. 5. In some cases, re-entry may or may not involve permanent re-entry.
More than 10 per cent of the buildings in Fort McMurray have been ruined and the fire consuming this region of northern Alberta remains out of control. Hot spots and hazards remain in town, even in areas the fire flattened last week.
The government toured select media through Fort McMurray on Monday, accompanied by RCMP and other officials. In Abasand, apartment complexes have been wiped out, backyards host charred barbecues and blackened metal fences. Houses have been flattened and their contents from bathtubs to unidentifiable piles of metal lie twisted and blackened. The streets are largely clear, although the buildings and their contents look like they were hit with a tornado. Pinkish concrete foundations remain.
Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/about-85-per-cent-of-fort-mcmurray-still-intact-2400-structures-lost/article29945682/
Damage from the wildfires is seen in the Beacon Hill neighbourhood in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Monday, May 9, 2016.
(Ryan Remiorz/THE CANADIAN PRESS)