Fort Mac Wildfire Thread

[blueski]

There's one video circulating of a gas station blowing up. But apparently that was a power transformer. Huge explosion.

[Canuck-Hater]

That's scary stuff. Wow. Reminds me of the 2011 fire that destroyed Slave Lake.

[Duruss]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Plenty of operations south of the city now too, but all seem safe. Seeing pictures of families, pets at CNRL Horizon camp, crazy.

Some people are posting to Reddit Canada, as they are evacuating, it's quite harrowing to see. I hope everyone gets out safe, but damn this so much worse than the flood.


And holy crap, just found out that my cousin and her family are there and are having a hard time getting away.


Can some one explain why this fire seems to have reached such a size so suddenly? Or it at least seems sudden.

[blueski]

From twitter:
Hearing syncrude has brought in dozers to help build fire blockades right in fort Mac

[Minnie]

Kayla Haynes ‏@Thatgirl_Keeks 1m1 minute ago

A lot of reports coming in that Downtown Fort Mac is on fire now. Hospital is on fire. This is so tragic... #ymmfire

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by Duruss

Can some one explain why this fire seems to have reached such a size so suddenly? Or it at least seems sudden.

Wind changed direction and pushed the fire towards the town.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Duruss

Some people are posting to Reddit Canada, as they are evacuating, it's quite harrowing to see. I hope everyone gets out safe, but damn this so much worse than the flood.


And holy crap, just found out that my cousin and her family are there and are having a hard time getting away.


Can some one explain why this fire seems to have reached such a size so suddenly? Or it at least seems sudden.

Wind direction switched suddenly giving the fire new fuel and the gusts started up which drove it even quicker...then the added effect of a fire that big begins to create its own "weather" (as in swirling winds much faster than surface wind) and things literally completely changed in 30 minutes.

[Dynamic]

Geeze this is bad. Stay safe everyone and if anybody needs a place to stay or park their camper pm me. I'm between slave lake and westlock.

[jschick88]

Originally Posted by Dynamic

Geeze this is bad. Stay safe everyone and if anybody needs a place to stay or park their camper pm me. I'm between slave lake and westlock.

Recommend tweeting that out if you have twitter. Use #ymmfire

I have noticed others tweeting that they have beds and a place to stay.

[jschick88]

Red Cross Alberta ‏@RedCrossAB
Donate to help those affected by the fires in Fort McMurray https://donate.redcross.ca/ea-action...campaign=NO-DM

[TheScorpion]

Taken from twitter. This person is on a convoy heading out of town:

[Acey]

Originally Posted by blueski

There's one video circulating of a gas station blowing up. But apparently that was a power transformer. Huge explosion.

There's video from Global of that Shell station burned to the ground. Whether it exploded or not doesn't much matter anymore... it's gone.

[worth]

Really scary. My girlfriend has a lot of family up there. Her grandmother was missing for a couple of hours after she was separated from her husband, but they're back together now. Apparently it's just chaos with everyone trying to get out obviously.

Have to feel like the evacuation was left a little late in the game. After this is over i'm sure there will be a big review on how Alberta communities handle fires like this, especially with them becoming more and more common.

[surferguy]

There is a tweet at #ymmfire showing Ft Mac from 25000ft . Looks like a GD volcano. Can't confirm it is true or not. I'd post it if I wasn't on my phone. Can someone find it and post it?

[DownhillGoat]

Aerial shot of the fire.

[Yamer]

Watching CTV Edmonton:

Some person in the Timberlea area saying that evacuation efforts are so congested in the area that she and her family are essentially trapped in the house. There's simply nowhere to go.

[Acey]

nm

[transplant99]

nm

[Acey]

What's sad too now is seeing tweets of people pleading to free their pets from basement suites and what not. "Just set them free".

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Watching CTV Edmonton:

Some person in the Timberlea area saying that evacuation efforts are so congested in the area that she and her family are essentially trapped in the house. There's simply nowhere to go.

Friend is in the same predicament.