The pictures are getting worse and worse, but still no loss of life. It's a miracle.

There's a new fire now; Fort St. John is burning and it's moving south towards Prince George/Smithers and the Alberta border. Great - just what we need.

UPDATED
B.C. wildfires near Fort St. John spark evacuations
A thousand people forced out and thousands more on alert
By Wanyee Li and Betsy Trumpener, CBC News Posted: May 06, 2016 10:31 AM PT Last Updated: May 06, 2016 4:23 PM PT

A smaller wildfire near Fort St. John, B.C., merged with a larger one on Thursday. (Trevor Matheson/Twitter)


About 1,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in northeastern B.C., as one of the province's biggest wildfires forced a new evacuation order and a dramatic expansion of an evacuation alert zone.

As the Beatton Airport Road fire grew to 12,000 hectares, 500 people were told to leave their rural homes immediately.

Another 500 people in the nearby Blueberry River First Nation are also leaving.

Meanwhile, the evacuation alert zone has expanded dramatically.

About 5,000 people living along a 40-kilometre stretch of the Alaska Highway are being told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

On Friday afternoon, the expanded evacuation alert zone stretched from Mile 85 of the Alaska Highway all the way down through Charlie Lake to just north of Fort St John.

An emergency reception centre has been set up in Fort St John.

"We've got some pretty active fires going right now," said Shannon Anderson, emergency operations centre director for the Peace River Regional District. "It's something we haven't seen in our area for quite some time."

On Thursday, the fire was about 45 kilometres north of Fort St. John, at Mile 80 on the Alaska Highway.

On Friday, the fire jumped the Alaska Highway and continued to grow.

A travel advisory for the Alaska Highway remains in effect and a smoke advisory has been issued for the North Peace.

I cannot even comprehend the magnitude of this.

It definitely puts things in perspective. Man thinks he is all powerful...

flan

Lots of postings up of animal rescues - weird how there are no separated family posts ... remember Katrina? It's strange that there isn't more human destruction. A miracle, yes. But also strange.

I'm sorry you just said that. Without a doubt, many US firefighters are on their way.

Firefighters were at the evacuation centers, handing out flowers to mothers today, despite being dead on their feet.

I know what to do_sometimes wrote:

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I'm sorry you just said that. Without a doubt, many US firefighters are on their way.

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Really? I doubt it. They're coming from as far away as New Brunswick and Quebec.

Nothing and nobody from the US. If you've heard otherwise, let me know. 

weltschmerz wrote:

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I know what to do_sometimes wrote:

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I'm sorry you just said that. Without a doubt, many US firefighters are on their way.

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Really? I doubt it. They're coming from as far away as New Brunswick and Quebec.

Nothing and nobody from the US. If you've heard otherwise, let me know. 

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 Ahh just read up on it.  Apparently Alberta doesn't budget for Forrest fires so don't have the manpower.  Tell me, what are you personally doing to fight the fire?  I mean as a Canadian, I would think you would do what you could before you blame others.

Compassion. Empathy. It would behoove us to remember what those words mean.

I am so sorry that no one is helping. I can't imagine why. I feel horribly that people are just standing idle. It isn't right.

Why don't you have enough?

As a Canadian, I am personally involved in collecting funds to send to the relief efforts to ensure that the evacuation centers in Northern BC, central Alberta and Saskatchewan have enough money to continue to provide housing, food, clothing, medicine and other necessities to the tens of thousands of evacuees that have descended on them.

As a therapist I am offering my services for those in crisis who were from my area but working in Fort Mac or Fort St. John and have had to come home and lost their jobs and livelihoods.

When it is time to rebuild Fort Mac I may go up there and do what I can to clear out debris. That is what we do when we lose an entire city. When High River flooded and the whole city was lost the reclamation took months and it took the people of neighbouring cities going there everyday to rebuild. That will happen with Fort Mac.

But let's have some perspective on the magnitude of this disaster. How many States fit in one province? How many States would be burning right now if this fire was in the USA? This fire is massive. Nobody has enough firefighters for this. Help is needed. From anywhere.

 itsnotaboutfirefighters . . . itsaboutothercountriesnotsendingaid . . . whencanadaalwayssendsaid . . . 

 

That said, firefighters are hot.   

Tignanello wrote:

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As a Canadian, I am personally involved in collecting funds to send to the relief efforts to ensure that the evacuation centers in Northern BC, central Alberta and Saskatchewan have enough money to continue to provide housing, food, clothing, medicine and other necessities to the tens of thousands of evacuees that have descended on them.

As a therapist I am offering my services for those in crisis who were from my area but working in Fort Mac or Fort St. John and have had to come home and lost their jobs and livelihoods.

When it is time to rebuild Fort Mac I may go up there and do what I can to clear out debris. That is what we do when we lose an entire city. When High River flooded and the whole city was lost the reclamation took months and it took the people of neighbouring cities going there everyday to rebuild. That will happen with Fort Mac.

But let's have some perspective on the magnitude of this disaster. How many States fit in one province? How many States would be burning right now if this fire was in the USA? This fire is massive. Nobody has enough firefighters for this. Help is needed. From anywhere.

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 Thank you Tig. Thank you.

flan

Obama is in coasting mode since his term is almost up. I wish he would send help to Canada.

I do think it is disingenuous to compare this with disasters like Katrina. Everyone has been safely evacuated and currently there are no lives in danger.

Lawyerlady wrote:

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I do think it is disingenuous to compare this with disasters like Katrina. Everyone has been safely evacuated and currently there are no lives in danger.

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 That wasn't the case a few days ago.  There was no way of predicting that Fort Mac would be safely evacuated.  The evacuations of the evacuated sites is still ongoing as the fire is still spreading.  There is no way of knowing that more townships will not be threatened.

Tens of thousands of people are displaced and homeless.  With no hope of going home and no hope of regaining their livelihood.  That doesn't sound safe to me.  It sounds like some help is needed.  Not just today, but on a long-term ongoing basis.

Americans have been asked to donate to the Canadian Red Cross to help with displacement of Canadian citizens. I hope the fund raising is going well.

just Czech wrote:

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Americans have been asked to donate to the Canadian Red Cross to help with displacement of Canadian citizens. I hope the fund raising is going well.

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 You can also donate to the Salvation Army.

 

However, the Canadian government will MATCH any donations to the Red Cross.  

Apparently, the area needs permission to ask for assistance outside the Province? It's very odd.

Canadians are responding very well and $30 million has been donated already.

Lawyerlady wrote:

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Apparently, the area needs permission to ask for assistance outside the Province? It's very odd.

Canadians are responding very well and $30 million has been donated already.

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 Let's hope that it all gets into the hands of the right people.

flan

just Czech wrote:

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Lawyerlady wrote:

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just Czech wrote:

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Americans have been asked to donate to the Canadian Red Cross to help with displacement of Canadian citizens. I hope the fund raising is going well.

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 You can also donate to the Salvation Army.

 

However, the Canadian government will MATCH any donations to the Red Cross.  

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What? The Canadian government matches charity funds? Wow, that would never happen in the USA! 

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 I'm pretty sure our government just passes emergency assistance bills - it has nothing to do with matching.  But it is a good way to incentivize giving. 

weltschmerz wrote:

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just Czech wrote:

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Lawyerlady wrote:

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Apparently, the area needs permission to ask for assistance outside the Province? It's very odd.

Canadians are responding very well and $30 million has been donated already.

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 I wonder if that is because French speaking Quebec, has tried for years to become it's own country, separate from the rest of Canada.

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That has nothing to do with anything.

Quebec is sending lots of help and is raising tons of money. 

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 That doesn't answer the question of why they are not requesting outside help.  Or why B.C. declined to send firefighters.  

weltschmerz wrote:

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Other countries are OFFERING help.
Not the U.S.

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 And Canada is not responding.  

 

The normal protocol is to request help.  We can't go without a request or invitation.  Why Obama is not discussing this with your government is beyond me.  But from articles I've seen, y'all just want to handle it yourself.