60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada!

by Guest Wed May 04, 2016 12:58 pm

Entire city evacuated amid massive Canada wildfire
By Amanda Jackson and Dave Alsup, CNN

updated 0836 GMT (1536 HKT) May 4, 2016

(CNN)Authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of the entire Canadian city of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta amid a raging wildfire.
Alberta officials issued an expanded order Tuesday. Nearly 53,000 people had moved to safer ground, authorities said.
Extremely high temperatures and low humidity fueled the blaze, leaving firefighters battling "explosive" conditions.
"All our efforts to control and contain the fire were challenged by this extreme fire behavior," said Bernie Schmitte, the forestry manager. "Efforts were also hampered by smoke conditions. Basically fire behavior was beyond all control efforts."
No injuries or casualties have been reported.
Nine air tankers and 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze, which began Sunday. The fire was estimated to be 7,400 acres as of Tuesday, according CBC News.
Homes, businesses engulfed
The blaze has engulfed homes and businesses but the exact number of burned structures is unknown, according to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
With a population of more than 60,000 in Fort McMurray, the evacuation is the largest in Alberta's history, according to CBC News. Authorities said the number of people evacuated so far is an estimate and the full picture will emerge when the blaze is contained.
The only hospital in the city, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, evacuated all 105 patients, the Alberta Government said.
Prime Minster Justin Trudeau tweeted his support.
"My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight," he posted. "We stand ready to help."
Residents used social media to share their images of the massive wildfire enclosing their town.
"I am out. I am safe," tweeted one resident. "I've never been more scared in my life. Praying for my home right now."

William Stephen Jeffery captured video of the black smoke and orange flames approaching a building in Fort McMurray.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/03/world/fort-mcmurray-alberta-fire-canada-irpt/index.html

And I thought living through our April KS wild fires were horrible...I can't imagine trying to evacuate an entire town of this size this rapidly; they'd been trying to stop this fire since Sunday! Evil or Very Mad

by Guest Wed May 04, 2016 1:09 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/may/04/tens-of-thousands-forced-to-flee-wildfire-in-fort-mcmurray-canada-video

WHEW...just can't imagine and the gridlock that happened out on those highways --- WTH were the highway patrols - emergency management to keep the traffic flowing; some people were stuck right beside fuel stations closed down but the fire was over taking the commercial sights --- I just can't imagine! What a Face

by eddie Wed May 04, 2016 5:02 pm

Such an awful tragedy when this happens. All those poor people, and animals! Must be quite scary.

by captain Wed May 04, 2016 6:13 pm

I hope all in the stricken areas were able to be evacuated. It must be terrifying being in such conditions. Crying or Very sad

by Tommy Monk Wed May 04, 2016 7:51 pm

Is a very sad and dangerous time for the locals...

But not for some of the local indigenous plant life...

Whenever most people see a forest fire, they automatically think about all of the trees and bushes that are being destroyed. After the fire is over, the landscape looks like a blackened scene of desolation.

But did you know that some plants and trees actually need fires in order to survive? A number of plants rely on fire to release their seeds, eliminate competition or supply a rich layer of nutrient filled ash.

One example is the jack pine, found mostly in the very northern parts of central and eastern US and Canada. Their cones are very thick and hard. They are literally glued shut with a strong resin. These cones are referred to as serotinous which means, late blooming or opening. Serotinous cones can hang on a pine tree for years without opening up to release its seeds. When a fire sweeps through a forest of jack pines, the heat from the fire melts the resin, allowing the cones to open up and release the seeds.

http://creationrevolution.com/plants-that-need-fire-to-survive/

Seems the plants are used to it over the millennias they have been there...

by Original Quill Wed May 04, 2016 8:01 pm

Gd. pt. tommy.

In the early days, California was overly concerned about forest fires. Remember Smokey the Bear:

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! Smokey-weakens

One year Tuolumne Meadows, near Yosemite, was burned down. The next Spring it was all blooming and beautiful. They finally figured out that fires are a natural part of the cycle of life in forests.

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 6a00d8341c630a53ef0120a51cf476970b-600wi

Thing is...it burns down homes, and that's what they don't like.

by HoratioTarr Wed May 04, 2016 8:31 pm

I can't imagine all the wildlife that must have perished too. How terrible.

Did someone drop a fag?

by Tommy Monk Wed May 04, 2016 8:41 pm

But I heard a news station saying it was down to unusual warm temperatures and global warming and something that shouldn't normally happen etc...!

by Ben Reilly Wed May 04, 2016 9:03 pm

Tommy Monk wrote:
But I heard a news station saying it was down to unusual warm temperatures and global warming and something that shouldn't normally happen etc...!

Global warming is making wildfires worse. It's not that it should never happen, it's that it should happen less frequently and over smaller areas:

http://time.com/3959260/climate-change-wildfires/

by Cass Wed May 04, 2016 9:07 pm

HoratioTarr wrote:I can't imagine all the wildlife that must have perished too. How terrible.

Did someone drop a fag?

Here is it usually caused by dry lightening strikes during our Monsoon season, or also the sun is so strong that it just sets off sparks and whoosh.

It's a class 1 criminal misdemeanor to throw out a cigarette butt out of the window. I have actually taken down license plate numbers and reported them to the police. Sadly the police can only have a chat with them unless they see it in person. These people are truly asshats.

by Guest Wed May 04, 2016 9:12 pm

Just been watching it on the news, 2 minutes notice to leave your home. Most people seemed to have left their belongings and grabbed their pets. So would I!

by Cass Wed May 04, 2016 9:15 pm

sassy wrote:Just been watching it on the news, 2 minutes notice to leave your home. Most people seemed to have left their belongings and grabbed their pets. So would I!

It's fast and furious. the wind is a big hindrance. You just have to get out when they tell you to.

by Guest Wed May 04, 2016 9:18 pm

And we moan about our rain!!!!!

by Tommy Monk Wed May 04, 2016 10:05 pm

Ben_Reilly wrote:
Tommy Monk wrote:
But I heard a news station saying it was down to unusual warm temperatures and global warming and something that shouldn't normally happen etc...!

Global warming is making wildfires worse. It's not that it should never happen, it's that it should happen less frequently and over smaller areas:

http://time.com/3959260/climate-change-wildfires/

It should normally happen in areas where indigenous plant life exhibit the evolved requirement for it to happen to survive...

by Ben Reilly Wed May 04, 2016 10:18 pm

Tommy Monk wrote:
Ben_Reilly wrote:
Tommy Monk wrote:
But I heard a news station saying it was down to unusual warm temperatures and global warming and something that shouldn't normally happen etc...!

Global warming is making wildfires worse. It's not that it should never happen, it's that it should happen less frequently and over smaller areas:

http://time.com/3959260/climate-change-wildfires/

It should normally happen in areas where indigenous plant life exhibit the evolved requirement for it to happen to survive...

Yes. But global warming is making it happen more frequently than necessary.

by Tommy Monk Wed May 04, 2016 10:40 pm

...or just getting back to normal temperatures...!?

And starting to happen again in areas where it really should but has been too unusually cold to do so in recent 100 years or so...

by Guest Thu May 05, 2016 12:00 am

Similar to our KS situation: they've been fighting this horrid fire since Sunday and the PM is just now sending in the Military Evil or Very Mad

The gas stations are running out of fuel - those that are caught having to wait in those long lines are running out of fuel/food/water - the PM is sending in busses to evacuate those people so they'll need to leave whatever they loaded their vehicles up with behind and board the buses ---

DISASTROUS AND CHAOS !!!

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 900x900

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 900x900

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Wildfires-cause-chaos-in-Canada-town-7391257.php#photo-9942558

by Guest Thu May 05, 2016 11:02 pm

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 920x920

http://video.chron.com/?ndn.trackingGroup=90000&ndn.siteSection=houstonchron_nws_wld_sty_pp&ndn.videoId=30716257&freewheel=90000&sitesection=houstonchron_nws_wld_sty_pp&vid=30716257

by eddie Thu May 05, 2016 11:06 pm

Woah!! Shit. That's bad.

by Guest Thu May 05, 2016 11:35 pm

While you 'FEW' members go off the track & derail yet another topic; I'm staying the course and talking about those unfortunate humans and those caught in those whirling wind gusts that just keeps circling around and around and bringing those tall trees down upon their homes and closing off roads!
60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 3201073460

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 3201073460

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 12:08 am

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! BBsFZqN

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! BBsE1Jd

Helicopter Airlift
Many who fled the oil hub earlier watched as familiar landmarks became engulfed in flames. Most drove south, until the fire breached Highway 63, forcing the rest to head north and take refuge at oil-sands work camps.
Other evacuees are taking cover at an exhibition place in Edmonton that’s been opened up or finding rooms in Lac La Biche and other communities between the capital and Fort McMurray. Still others left town with their camper trailers despite the municipality’s pleas for them to avoid jamming up the roads, and are finding parking lots to set up while they wait out the blaze. In Lac La Biche, a few dozen are sleeping in the hockey arena.
Fortna watched the smoke roll into his own street as neighbors hopelessly sprayed their roofs with water, then was forced out of two other neighborhoods by the flames. He was eventually airlifted out by helicopter with his friends after they were cornered by the fire in a part of Fort McMurray where there was no other road out.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/fire-refugees-flee-alberta-town-with-flames-lapping-at-wheels/ar-BBsGeqP?ocid=ansmsnnews11

Ok, I get it; I'm not from this region...I'm just a plains woman that has to deal with our KS winds and those can reach gale force and whip up to 80 mph...and will rekindle a fire within nanoseconds. And drive that gale force wind through a ravine/gully and you've added another 10- 20 mph onto that wind shear --- this fire started on SUNDAY - folks > SUNDAY and those wind currents have been circling around from every direction; there are forests - tall 50' plus towering conifer trees, drought ridden underbrush galore and sparse highways to move fire fighting or emergency equipment into the region or evacuate the humanity out of the region and the PRIME MINISTER waited until TUESDAY to send in the MILITARY --- WTF?

The blaze, which began as a brushfire but quickly overtook the city, had destroyed more than 1,600 buildings in Fort McMurray by Wednesday. Strong winds and unseasonably warm temperatures continued to carry it into the evening, threatening other communities.

2016 current fire rating map red to blue {red being worst for drought conditions and highest fire hazards}

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! Map_p3120345

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! Map_p3120345

by veya_victaous Fri May 06, 2016 10:29 am

Okay So Talk of global warming in another thread PLEASE.

the removed posts are in a basement thread 'global warming argument'

by veya_victaous Fri May 06, 2016 10:34 am

I don't know how populated the area is but similar can happen here where we leave it until it gets close to a settlement in the hope that it will burn out before that but we have learned our lesson generally from previous disasters and if the winds are going towards a settlement then the try and stop it will before then.

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 10:53 am

veya_victaous wrote:Okay So Talk of global warming in another thread PLEASE.

the removed posts are in a basement thread 'global warming argument'

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! Thank-you

by eddie Fri May 06, 2016 11:46 am

Blame Ben. He started it.

Edit:
Ooops just looked and saw how that debate panned out, so just to clarify, it was a joke about Ben starting it.

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 1:01 pm

veya_victaous wrote:I don't know how populated the area is but similar can happen here where we leave it until it gets close to a settlement in the hope that it will burn out before that but we have learned our lesson generally from previous disasters and if the winds are going towards a settlement then the try and stop it will before then.

Sadly, this area was a 'Shale Sand Oil Boom Town' place these past 8+ years and with the property values already taking a huge hit from the bottom dropping {yet again falling out of the crude industry as it often does - yet another topic} this region was suffering the heavy burden of having lots of property with few other economic options for work and delinquent tax burdens.

For those that were trying to sell and relocate --- their options were already few to none for finding buyers now they'll be left with whatever they insurance pay out; if they had insurance Suspect

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 1:20 pm

The Canadian province of Alberta declared a state of emergency on Wednesday afternoon in response to the blaze. The fire was the largest of three wildfires burning on Wednesday in the province.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for all of Fort McMurray on Tuesday before the blaze moved into the city. According to the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo, over 88,000 people were evacuated successfully.
Mandatory evacuations were also ordered late Wednesday in Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation, due to changing weather conditions, Wood Buffalo officials said.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said during a news conference Tuesday that this is the largest evacuation in the history of the province.
On Wednesday, she tweeted that there have been no reports of fatalities or injuries.

Travel into the city should only be conducted if essential, government officials said. The Fort McMurray International Airport was closed Wednesday, but reopened again on Thursday.

Significant structural damage has been reported, with officials estimating that 1,600 structures have been lost. Many homes have been destroyed throughout the town. As of early Wednesday afternoon, 90 percent of the homes in the Waterways neighborhood were lost, officials said.
Firefighters from regions all over Alberta are working to battle the blaze with approximately 250 firefighters are on hand. Emergency responders are also utilizing heavy equipment to attack the fire from the air, with 12 helicopters and nine air tankers engaged in suppression efforts.
Fourteen Alberta municipalities were assisting with the firefighting operations, the Canadian Broadcasting System reported.
The volume of people evacuating led to congestion on roadways. Long lines formed at gas stations as people stopped to fill up their vehicles before escaping to safety.
As of Thursday evening, the blaze has grown to 85,000 hectares (328 square miles) in size, officials said.
Notley said during a Thursday news conference that the fire's "rate of growth has slowed."

Some of the security camera's at those residential homes --- well, it's a very chilling sight to be able to hear and see one's home as the fire destroys everything that you cherished and had to leave behind...then the camera goes blank. Sad

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 1:34 pm

Been listening to it on the news. Those that were sent north now having to be reloated again and hardly any road system.

The whole thing looks and sounds uttlerly terrifying, sparks raining down on traffic trying to escape. Houses, jobs, all gone. How on earth will they rebuild their lives?

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 1:54 pm

sassy wrote:Been listening to it on the news. Those that were sent north now having to be reloated again and hardly any road system.

The whole thing looks and sounds uttlerly terrifying, sparks raining down on traffic trying to escape. Houses, jobs, all gone. How on earth will they rebuild their lives?

I don't know and as my dearly departed hubby was from that region the inept thinking and piss poor planning for this emergency that began on SUNDAY and took off with those high winds and all that under brush {kindling} all those confers - limited highway egress = tinder box and stupid politicians with ZERO emergency planning to GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND MOVE NOW!
Thankfully we'd moved his elderly mother out of there ages ago but that area has always had issues with that single highway running north & south and now that the 'Shale Sand' shot the population up to 125,000 and it bounced back down to 80,000 but not dropped down to what it had been pre oil boom lift --- those regions just don't know how to manage traffic flow, let alone an horrible emergency traffic flow like this situation and they didn't bother to THINK WORSE CASE SCENERIO 60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 2396444674

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 2396444674

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 2:33 pm

AS I HAVE witnessed before down here, wildfires these days are more ferocious and intense than they were 30, 40, 50 years ago...

AND at the same time, the summer sun here feels sharper and more intense than it did only 15 and 20 years ago..

EXTREME bushfires of that range seem to occur when a "perfect storm" of conditions occur together, such as :

* Long dry spells, such as those droughts that have been ravishing western sections of North America over the last 2 or 3 years;
* There has been a build up in previously logged/harvested areas, of dried fuel on the ground that has sometimes built up over 5 or 10 years without being either burnt off or cleared out;
* Alternatively, when there are strong hot and dry winds blowing from inland, this can push rapid "crown fires" ahead of the slower burning ground fires, sometimes up to 20-30 kms ahead of the main fire front; around here strong winds have been seen to carry "fire balls" 2->3 kms in front of these crown fires !
* OVER there in Canada, whenever the humidity (as a % of relative humidity) drops below the ambient temp (expressed in °Celsius), they declare an extreme fire hazard, as under thoee conditions their grasslands can burst into flames at the slightest incl8nation -- whether ignited through lightning strikes, human carelessness, dropped cigarettes, deliberate arson, or even 'spontaneous combustion' under rare conditions;
* And if pushed along by the afore mentioned winds, can quickly spread into forested areas..
* Made even worse where you have highly flammable trees present -- such as the oil-filled Eucalypts and Angophoras here in Eastern Australia, the giant softwoods of NW USA and western Canada, the large forests in central Russia, or the dry scrubby regions in southern parts of France and Spain.
(DON'T see many too fires in 'Rainforest areas', and even then those tend to be short lived and localised..)

N.B. And the existence of ignorant "denialists" like that brain-fucked oxygen-thief Tommy Monk are not a Eurocentric, or even a Northern Hemisphere, incident alone -- we have those moron troublemakers down here as well.

by Tommy Monk Fri May 06, 2016 2:38 pm

We are coming out of the cool period known as the mini ice age and temperatures have returned to normal... that is all.

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 2:52 pm

4EVER2 wrote:
Similar to our KS situation: they've been fighting this horrid fire since Sunday and the PM is just now sending in the Military

..............................

SEND IN THE MILITARY !!!

How often do we hear that bullshit from the mass media and the panic merchants ?

"The military" is normally not in the main trained or equipped to fight fires or deal with storms and floods -- except for a few specialised units;
They are actually often more of a hindrance rather than a help to emergency services early on -- as it usually takes 3-4 days to organize, move and properly train and prepare troops to help during disasters.

EVEN WHEN the military is deployed, their main functions are in patrolling areas close to settled areas, evacuating people, and backing up police with traffic control, mqrshalling, transport and relief efforts.

3->4 days is actually a typical response for moving general troops in to back up emergency services..

EXPECTING a faster response would actually make a dire situation worse, rather than better...

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 2:54 pm

Tommy Monk wrote:

We are coming out of the cool period known as the mini ice age and temperatures have returned to normal... that is all.

FUCK OFF, turd muncher.

by Tommy Monk Fri May 06, 2016 2:58 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:
Tommy Monk wrote:

We are coming out of the cool period known as the mini ice age and temperatures have returned to normal... that is all.

FUCK OFF, turd muncher.

Evidence backs this up!

The jigs up shit for brains!!!

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 3:03 pm

4EVER2 wrote:
sassy wrote:
Been listening to it on the news. Those that were sent north now having to be reloated again and hardly any road system.

The whole thing looks and sounds uttlerly terrifying, sparks raining down on traffic trying to escape. Houses, jobs, all gone. How on earth will they rebuild their lives?

I don't know and as my dearly departed hubby was from that region the inept thinking and piss poor planning for this emergency that began on SUNDAY and took off with those high winds and all that under brush {kindling} all those confers - limited highway egress = tinder box and stupid politicians with ZERO emergency planning to GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND MOVE NOW!
Thankfully we'd moved his elderly mother out of there ages ago but that area has always had issues with that single highway running north & south and now that the 'Shale Sand' shot the population up to 125,000 and it bounced back down to 80,000 but not dropped down to what it had been pre oil boom lift --- those regions just don't know how to manage traffic flow, let alone an horrible emergency traffic flow like this situation and they didn't bother to THINK WORSE CASE SCENERIO

IF THAT WERE TRUE, 4ever2, than your region would be in dire straits under similar circumstances...

The Best Prepared regions in the world, for handling these types of severe bush/forest fires --

Australia; Western and Central parts of Canada; California, Washington state, Arizona, Colorado.;
Then comes 'Daylight'..

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 3:11 pm

Tommy Monk wrote:
WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

FUCK OFF, turd muncher.

Evidence backs this up!

The jigs up shit for brains!!!

THERE IS NO "evidence", you jumped little nazi...

EXCEPT that which you keep dreaming up..

NEARLY everyone on here now knows you're lying through your teeth.

UNFORTUNATELY for the bulk of us here, you're so chronically stupid, you actually believe that you're somehow acting intelligent !!!

"TOMMY MONK" -- the new standard for the terminally insane.

by Raggamuffin Fri May 06, 2016 3:12 pm

Oh shut up Wolfman - just put some tape over your gob.

by Tommy Monk Fri May 06, 2016 3:18 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:
Tommy Monk wrote:

Evidence backs this up!

The jigs up shit for brains!!!

THERE IS NO "evidence", you jumped little nazi...

EXCEPT that which you keep dreaming up..

NEARLY everyone on here now knows you're lying through your teeth.

UNFORTUNATELY for the bulk of us here, you're so chronically stupid, you actually believe that you're somehow acting intelligent !!!

"TOMMY MONK" -- the new standard for the terminally insane.

More accusations of lying...

Pathetic!!!

I suppose all the documented evidence of the mini ice age is all lies too!?

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 3:28 pm

TOMMY and one or two of his equally demented bumchums now seem to be tag-teaming across a few threads here today, trying their level best to see how many threads they can derail !?!

HOW LONG will it be before somebody puts a stop to their deliberate obfuscations and interferences on here ?

Anyone... pale

by Tommy Monk Fri May 06, 2016 3:31 pm

Think it is you who needs action taken against ..

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 3:38 pm

Tommy Monk wrote:
WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

THERE IS NO "evidence", you jumped little nazi...

EXCEPT that which you keep dreaming up..

NEARLY everyone on here now knows you're lying through your teeth.

UNFORTUNATELY for the bulk of us here, you're so chronically stupid, you actually believe that you're somehow acting intelligent !!!

"TOMMY MONK" -- the new standard for the terminally insane.

More accusations of lying...

Pathetic!!!

I suppose all the documented evidence of the mini ice age is all lies too!?

IT'S NOT the documentation recording a handful of extended localised extreme cold periods (not genuine "ice ages", by the way..) between the late 14th and early 19th centuries that are "lies", neo-nazi boy...

BUT your twisted deliberate misrepresentations of just what they might mean..
AND your idiotic repetitive efforts to use those unrelated events to attempt to deny what far-more-intelligent persons than your most odious self are trying to discuss on here.

by Tommy Monk Fri May 06, 2016 3:58 pm

The cold period is known as the 'mini ice age'... fact!!!

The effects of which are well documented here in London as the Thames used to freeze over!!!

There was hardly anyone there in australia/canada/usa at the time and certainly no records began there until about 150 years ago!!!

by Raggamuffin Fri May 06, 2016 4:14 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

TOMMY and one or two of his equally demented bumchums now seem to be tag-teaming across a few threads here today, trying their level best to see how many threads they can derail !?!

HOW LONG will it be before somebody puts a stop to their deliberate obfuscations and interferences on here ?

Anyone...

I'm merely objecting to your fuckwittery. Would you like to see us banned? Perhaps you could write a letter to somebody about it.

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 4:30 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:
4EVER2 wrote:
Similar to our KS situation: they've been fighting this horrid fire since Sunday and the PM is just now sending in the Military
..............................

SEND IN THE MILITARY !!!

How often do we hear that bullshit from the mass media and the panic merchants ?

"The military" is normally not in the main trained or equipped to fight fires or deal with storms and floods -- except for a few specialised units;
They are actually often more of a hindrance rather than a help to emergency services early on -- as it usually takes 3-4 days to organize, move and properly train and prepare troops to help during disasters.

EVEN WHEN the military is deployed, their main functions are in patrolling areas close to settled areas, evacuating people, and backing up police with traffic control, mqrshalling, transport and relief efforts.

3->4 days is actually a typical response for moving general troops in to back up emergency services..

EXPECTING a faster response would actually make a dire situation worse, rather than better...

Perhaps you're not familiar with what equipment that the military would have access to that the civilians don't:
transports vehicles - tanker trucks - helicopters - manpower with shovels - buses - dozers ---- things that those 450 fire fighters that had been on the GROUND FIGHTING SINCE SUNDAY didn't have as back up to their exhausted bodies.

Ya, WYWOLFIE --- it's called Emergency Evacuation Preparedness and it seems poorly approached just as it was here in KS --- when they waited 7 {7 F'n days prior} to sending in those support manpower Evil or Very Mad

You may think what you will and I'll believe what I do.

This sucked and now there's been loss of life due to people trying to flee and the vehicle that wrecked and the people that died --- senseless and horrid.

But your point is well made; our OZONE depletion has made the intensity for heat and the burn factor that much quicker and the moisture burn off that much faster in those forested region; so even though it appears 'GREEN' from up above it's drought stricken down under the growth layer and that old growth is left to become the tinderbox for the next huge burn out. While the point was made that some rapid brush fires are a necessity - most conifer trees don't grow back into that grid area due to that constant burn pattern --- they have to have centuries of 'NON-BURNED' seasons to continue their growth cycle or they'll quit their seedling production and just stop growing and die.

by 'Wolfie Fri May 06, 2016 4:55 pm

AS A former Army Reservist, and a volunteer in the NSW State Emergency Services, I am quite well aware of just how and when military units need to be deployed in various disaster situations...

AND WHY they are not usually considered "first response" agencies in most domestic fire, storm and flood scenarios..

CONSIDER THIS:
Call out and organise military help : 1 day
Move troops in, preparations : 1 day
Train up troops to deal with situation and local conditions : 1-2 days
Total = 3-4 days..

Sunday to Thursday == 4 days ?

SOUNDS about right to me..

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 5:07 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:
AS A former Army Reservist, and a volunteer in the NSW State Emergency Services, I am quite well aware of just how and when military units need to be deployed in various disaster situations...

AND WHY they are not usually considered "first response" agencies in most domestic fire, storm and flood scenarios..

CONSIDER THIS:
Call out and organise military help : 1 day
Move troops in, preparations : 1 day
Train up troops to deal with situation and local conditions : 1-2 days
Total = 3-4 days..

Sunday to Thursday == 4 days ?

SOUNDS about right to me..

TY for your resume: Fort McCurry - named for the older established McCurry settlement but indeed once a Fort maintained jointly by the US & Canadian jointly >

Abasands Oil was the first company to successfully extract oil from the oil sands through hot water extraction by the 1930s, but production was very low. Fort McMurray's processing output gradually grew to over 1,100 barrels/day by World War II, and Fort McMurray was set up by the US and Canadian forces as staging ground for the Canol project.

My husband was born in McCurry - his father was very much part of the production of the Canol project and the joint team of service men stationed there.
Emergency Preparedness means exactly what the words define them to be = EMERGENCY; not 4 - 5 days to move men power and equipment! Rolling Eyes

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 5:47 pm

Thought this was lovely:

'We understand what they're feeling': Syrian refugees in Calgary step up to help Fort McMurray fire evacuees

When Rita Khanchet saw images of a vicious wildfire destroying homes and uprooting tens of thousands of people in Fort McMurray, she immediately thought of Syria, the homeland she fled just five months ago with her husband and young son.

Khanchet and her family know first-hand how scary it is to leave a community, home and possessions behind, and she was determined to help the people of Fort McMurray.

“It’s not easy to lose everything. We can understand them more than anyone in Canada. We were in the same situation,” said Khanchet, who lives in Calgary.

“Me and my family wanted to do something for these people. Canadian society helped us when we came to Canada.”

Syrian refugees across Calgary are now giving what little they have to northern Albertans, after Khanchet posted an appeal in Arabic on a private Facebook group the newcomers created and frequent.

“(Canadians) gave us everything. And now it’s time to return the favour,” she wrote.

A fellow Syrian refugee translated and shared Khanchet’s post with a wider community on the Syrian Refugee Support Group page, and within hours offers of help came in from new Canadians determined to give back to their new home.

“All the Syrians are saying, ‘I’m ready to give, I’m ready to give,’ ” said Saima Jamal, a co-founder of the Syrian Refugee Support Group.

“It’s amazing. You have to understand how little these guys have . . . But they understand the idea of an entire city losing their home. That’s something they can easily relate to. They went through that.”
60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 0506-fire-syrians-help2

60,000 inhabitants told to evacuated ahead of wildfires in Canada! 0506-fire-syrians-help2

Salem Kallas loads totes into his van (donated to his family by the Syrian Refugee Support Group) at the Rundle Superstore in Calgary on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Lyle Aspinall / Postmedia Network

While some newcomers offered to donate their furniture or clothes (which were donated to them by generous Canadians just months ago), the group settled on collecting $5 from any Syrian who has it.

The funds are going toward purchasing hygiene items for evacuees from Fort McMurray, items the Syrian refugees received when they arrived in Canada just months ago through a group called 99 Hampers of Hope.
Khanchet said refugees of all ages who’ve settled in Calgary want to help the people of Fort McMurray.

When she told her five-year-old son, Elie, about what was happening in northern Alberta, he collected his toys and said he wanted to give them to other children who didn’t have toys.

“We understand what they’re feeling. When you lose everything, you have to start from zero. You lose your memories, your items. It’s not easy. It’s something very sad. We can totally understand their feeling,”
Khanchet said.

“We are very thankful to the Canadian people and we want to be a part of this society. We will do our best to be a good part of this society. By doing that, maybe we can return a little bit of the great job that Canadian people did for us.”

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/we-understand-what-theyre-feeling-syrian-refugees-in-calgary-step-up-to-help-fort-mcmurray-fire-evacuees

video on link

by Guest Fri May 06, 2016 6:03 pm

Awwww, that was unexpected; yet much needed for how the refugees get such horrid press and here's a counter balance for their open hearted response to humanities needs in dire circumstances!

Great find and a great read too. TY, Sassy...made my day.

BTW - WYWolfie --- you might have made a score on the number of days for getting any MILITARY over there to the McCurry region. Just because it's still referred to as 'Fort McCurry', I'm unable to find any facts/data that shows the US or Canada staff it as a base with even limited resources as it once was. And with all of our {America's} budget cuts it seems hardly fiscally responsible just to leave some manpower languishing around on a 'What-If' at that old WWII base. So your POV about days to move manpower is well founded. You scored several of my pawns in the maneuver! LOL Razz

by eddie Fri May 06, 2016 6:09 pm

Nice story sassy X

by Tommy Monk Fri May 06, 2016 6:26 pm

I see the pro Muslim propaganda spin machine is willing to use any excuse...

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