TOTALLY GEEKED!

Tragic and amazing how calm the mass exodus has been.
I wonder if big oil will step up and start helping these people whose backs they have profited off for decades.

Wow. Those pics are amazing. The smoke has reached Minnesota but not where I am...yet.

-- Edited by Mellow Momma on Wednesday 4th of May 2016 06:35:20 PM

People were driving through this during evacuations.

 

 

weltschmerz wrote:

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apple wrote:

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Tragic and amazing how calm the mass exodus has been.
I wonder if big oil will step up and start helping these people whose backs they have profited off for decades.

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I know, eh? It's amazing how there hasn't been a single injury.

Two babies born in shelters.

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 Its pretty impressive.

Wow! I'm glad no one was killed.

That is some fire!

Is there any conjecture on what the origin of the fire was?

Humans are the leading cause of wildfires in Canada, says a forest fire researcher who believes the latest blaze that has ripped through parts of Fort McMurray, Alta., is no exception.

Mike Flanagan, a professor of wildland fires at the University of Alberta, says the fire's proximity to the city, as well as data that shows there were no lightning strikes in the area, lead him to believe the cause of the fire was likely human.

"And in spring it's heavily loaded on the side of people-caused fires," Flanagan said.

An average of 1,200 wildfires are reported in Alberta each year, and half of those fires are caused by humans, according to the National Fire Database. Lightning is the second-leading cause with 47 per cent.

Officials were still investigating the cause of the latest fire, which remained out of control on Wednesday as it raged around Fort McMurray, a city of about 80,000 people located 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

However, Flanagan said weather conditions in Western Canada have been perfect for wildfires as the warm, dry winter has led to an abundance of dead, dry leaves and wood ready to light up.

www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/lack-of-lightning-suggests-a-human-caused-fort-mcmurray-fire-professor-1.2887946

Gail Bibeau estimates she had about three minutes to pack up as much as she could and flee her Fort McMurray home.

"Yesterday, we woke up and it wasn't even like there was a fire in the area. It was totally blue skies as far as you can see," she recalled. "Then all of a sudden it was like dragon's breath, the whole hillside was in flames."

www.ctvnews.ca/canada/it-was-like-dragon-s-breath-fort-mcmurray-evacuees-describe-their-escape-1.2887181

My son has so many friends who moved to the oil patch to make their fortunes.
Thankfully, and amazingly, no injuries, so we don't have to worry about people we know.

Fear fire more than earthquakes.... Fire just destroys so completely and everything in its path....

I'm glad nobody was hurt. Fire is terrifying.

Nope. Winds shifted and now it's threatening the new airport up there.

welts is in Quebec so I don't think she's close enough to be affected other than concern for her countrymen (and women).

I can't even imagine losing a whole city to fire...I know it can happen (as seen in Australia) but it's just so unbelievable that this can happen.

weltschmerz wrote:

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just Czech wrote:

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Amazing pictures, welts. It is also amazing they were able to evacuate so quickly.

Is the fire under control yet?

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 Not even close.

They're expecting it to get worse today due to high winds, and more communities are being evacuated.

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 Apparently during the first evacuation many people were at work and could not go home to get anything, including their pets.

I can't imagine losing everything like this, it is just horrible.

I see the Gov't has said they will match whatever the Red Cross raises as a relief fund.

Fort McMurray wildfire grows 8 times larger as battle continues

Supercharged by winds of up to 70 km/h, the Fort McMurray wildfire ballooned to 85,000 hectares overnight and is now raging across a wide front south of the city.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-grows-8-times-larger-as-battle-continues-1.3568035

So, no....nowhere near under control.

apple wrote:

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weltschmerz wrote:

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just Czech wrote:

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Amazing pictures, welts. It is also amazing they were able to evacuate so quickly.

Is the fire under control yet?

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 Not even close.

They're expecting it to get worse today due to high winds, and more communities are being evacuated.

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 Apparently during the first evacuation many people were at work and could not go home to get anything, including their pets.

I can't imagine losing everything like this, it is just horrible.

I see the Gov't has said they will match whatever the Red Cross raises as a relief fund.

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I hurt for all the pets trapped in their houses with no way to get out. 

Losing everything would be terrible but insurance will replace most of it.  But there is no replacing the beloved pets.  I feel sick just thinking about it.

I do not want to think about all those animals - wild and pet.

Lawyerlady wrote:

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I do not want to think about all those animals - wild and pet.

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Good point LL.  The wild ones just lost their homes too.  If not their lives.

I need to go back to the kitten thread this one is making me cry. 

Wow I just heard the St. Louis Blues raised 25k for Fort Mac!! That is awesome 😀 And hi Apple, long time, no talk!

That video was taken at noon. It looks like the Apocalypse.
Conditions are expected to get worse. Dry, dry, dry, with high winds.

Military needs not to be on standby.... Get your asses out here!!

Unbelievable isn't it?