Huge exodus from Fort McMurray

Hope our members and their families stay safe in Fort Mac.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/it-was-raining-ash-wildfire-sparks-mass-exodus-from-fort-mcmurray/article29850485/

A very sad day for our friends in Fort McMurray .
Far from over. This will hurt Alberta and Canada big time…
Thanks for the reminder Dan …

I know member Mike Middlestead out there. Anyone know if he is OK?

Niece , husband and family made it out in the family van just before they closed the road, Their brand new Jeep was in the photos with a wall of flames engulfing the home just behind it. All gone but they are safe. Just stuff.

Terrible mess, my heart goes out to the residents and all the first responders who are called on to assist.

https://donate.redcross.ca/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1951&ea.campaign.id=50610
How to help. Donations to red cross will be matched by the feds and Alberta, so 30 bucks goes into the pot for every ten donated by an individual.

Donate from your company, you get tax relief so you can donate even more. :smiley:

I wonder why Only Russia has offered help to Canada to fight the fires . It would make sense USA would reach out, after all Canada has help USA in many times in their hour of need . Has the Canadian government asked?

Northern U.S. States were asked for help 2 days ago by Alberta Premier.

Here’s the problem.

Here’s the area of fort McMurray that has been devastated by fire. The photograph strip is around 20km long (12.5 miles)

2016-fmab-image.jpg

As of 5th May, here’s the fire.

2016-fmab-fire.jpg

It’s been spreading rapidly since then.

My Daughter is in the RCMP in southern Saskatchewan, and they have air pollution problems from the smoke of the fire. They are 1200km away!

Here’s the link I got the info from

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/trudeau-turns-down-russian-u-s-mexican-offers-to-help-fight-fort-mac-wildfire-1.2894491

Trudeau turns down Russian, U.S., Mexican offers to help fight Fort Mac wildfire
Published Monday, May 9, 2016 1:53PM EDT
Last Updated Monday, May 9, 2016 5:10PM EDT
OTTAWA – Russia, the U.S., Mexico, Australia, Taiwan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority have all offered help in fighting the northern Alberta wildfire, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there’s no need for international assistance.
Last week Vladimir Puchkov, the Russian minister of emergency measures, offered to send heavy water bombers and specialized crews to battle the fire that’s been raging out of control near Fort McMurray.
A number of other offers have also been made since the crisis emerged last week and they have been reviewed against requirements, said John Babcock, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada.
on AIDS and malaria prevention in Ottawa on Monday, May 9, 2016. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Canada sincerely appreciates the international support, but it isn’t necessary, Trudeau told a news conference Monday. Water bombers and firefighters from other provinces, including Ontario, B.C., Quebec and New Brunswick, are getting a handle on the situation, he added.
“There is no doubt that people around the world have been marked by this disaster and have been very generous in their offers of support, but the reality is with all of the assistance of people across this country, we don’t need help from other countries at this time,” he said i

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/fort-mcmurray-fire-2-400-buildings-lost-25-000-saved-1.2893797
Fort McMurray fire: 2,400 buildings lost, 25,000 saved
ast Updated Monday, May 9, 2016 7:08PM EDT
After touring Fort McMurray on Monday, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says that about 90 per cent of the city remains intact, including the hospital and all schools.
“I’m told we lost about 2,400 structures,” she said. “We’ve saved over 25,000.”
Although there are many “heartbreaking images,” Notley said the community “has the capacity for people to return to it, to be a home, for people to rebuild their lives.”

Electric
Notley said that nearly 90,000 evacuees have registered with the province online and more than 30,000 have settled in the Edmonton area, with 5,000 in Calgary and 2,000 in Lac La Biche. Many others have not indicated their location. She encouraged them to
do so online.

[FONT=“Arial”]CTV News also got a closer look at the city Monday. Some neighbourhoods, including Beacon Hill, are almost completely levelled. There was also extensive damage in the Abasand area. A few structures on the edge of downtown were lost, but the vast majority was saved.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Fort McMurray Fire Chief Darby Allen told reporters on the bus tour that firefighters “gave it their all” and that he believes much more of the town would have been lost without their heroic efforts.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]“I truly believe nothing else could have been done that wasn’t done to protect the people and the structures within our city,” he later told reporters. “They’re rewriting their formulas on how fires behave based on this fire.”[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Allen told the story of one firefighter who lost the battle against his own home. “Instead of dropping his nozzle,” Allen said, he continued working for 22 hours straight.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Fire still growing**[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Chad Morrison, a provincial wildfire officer, said Monday evening that the fire that started just over a week ago has now grown to 200,000 hectares (2,000 square kilometres) and continues to burn about 30 kilometres from the Saskatchewan border.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]However, Morrison said that firefighters “continue to hold the line,” protecting all populated areas, including Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray First Nation, Anzac and the city.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]He also said cooler temperatures expected on Tuesday and Wednesday should help. “We expect good firefighting days ahead,” he said.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Earlier in the day, information officer Matthew Anderson told CTV’s Canada AM that the fire could take months to fully extinguish.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Anderson later told CTV News Channel that the fire is still listed as “out of control” and is expected to keep growing.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]“However, the rate of growth is greatly reduced based on this downturn in the weather we’re having,” he said.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]So far, two deaths have been linked to the fire. Emily Ryan, 15, and her stepmother’s nephew, Aaron Hodgson, died last Wednesday in a vehicle crash while fleeing.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Economic impact**[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Premier Notley said the fire “will have economic effects in our province and on our national economy.”[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]Oil companies including Syncrude and Suncor have suspended operations, causing Alberta’s oil production to drop by half.](http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/alberta-wildfire-will-have-widespread-economic-impact-for-canada-economist-1.2895044this%20disaster%20will%20have%20economic%20effects%20in%20our%20province%20and%20on%20our%20national%20economy,)[FONT=“Arial”]Notley is set to meet with industry leaders on Tuesday to discuss a plan to get production back on track.[/FONT][FONT=“Arial”]With files from The Canadian Press*[/FONT]](“http://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/emergencies-and-disasters-in-canada/how-we-help-canadians/red-cross-services/northern-alberta-wildfires-registration”)

Roy your Prime Minster needs a swat , ask for the help . What is he afraid of . Don’t make me come up there to kick that liberal butt lolol. Fuddle Duddle

Sorry more water bombers will do not much thus fire is so strong and so dry little can be done but wait for rain to come…
it is mainly in the bush and huge.
I am glad out leader, listens to the experts on what to do.
They all say the same thing .
This fire is huge it could last for months .
2,000 sq. kilometers and so hot water just disappears .
.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/the-fort-mcmurray-disaster-read-the-latest/article29930041/

Update, the fire is now over 1100 square miles in size, and only 12km from the Saskatchewan Border. To put that into perspective for our American cousins, that’s 52 times the size of Bermuda. That’s like imagining the whole of the State of Rhode Island being on fire, plus some!