Canada (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter sammy719
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Saw the reports and films of this disaster today. I was struck by the small number of firefighters currently being used. According to the report, there were only 350 FF's on the line. Fires of this proportion in California have thousands on the line. Maybe the area is isolated and it is taking time to ramp up resources. At any rate, best wishes to the people effected. -- Al
Updated figures this AM say there are now 1100 FF's on the scene. along with 145 helicopters and 22 air tankers. Over 1600 structures have burned, so far. 49 seperate fires burning, 7 OOC. What a mess. Sure hope they get rain. -- Al
Fullyautomatic
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Looking at a map and you will see that Fort McMurray is isolated with only one major highway running through it. Traffic of course has been grid locked since the evacuation started. I believe the fire started last week but the dry conditions and wind made it into a raging fireball by Tuesday and got out of control. That's why the initial FF deployment was so small.
Amazing that there has been no fatality's so far. Thoughts and prayers to all those people and to all the FF risking there lives to help others.
Amazing that there has been no fatality's so far. Thoughts and prayers to all those people and to all the FF risking there lives to help others.
sammy719
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A woman posted a video of the fire from her car as she and her husband left their home in the evac area. it was tough to listen to, hearing her scream/cries for being able to see her house for the last time was painful, prayers to all the good folk in the effected areas...Sammy
Phantom Warrior
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It's comparable to Fairbanks Alaska in isolation but Fort McMurray is a much larger city. If FM was in Alaska it would easily be the second largest city with 125,000. Unlike wildfires in California where there are big population centres to draw firefighting resources from, the closest population to FM is Edmonton, a 5 hour drive to the south
Terry
Terry
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The government has now classified the Fort McMurray fire as the worst natural disaster in Canadian history. It may not be the worst but it got to be in the top five. And it's not even close to being over
But most impressive is the fast response. A city of 100,000 in a remote location was completely evacuated in just a few hours and everybody got out. Rescue shelters are open and operating in the towns along the highway south from Fort McMurray as well as in Edmonton and Calgary. Supplies to stock the shelters are coming from all across Canada. Firefighters and water bombers have arrived from Quebec, Ontario and BC. And the Canadian Parliament has approved money and disaster relief in a non-partisan vote in Parliament.
Terry
But most impressive is the fast response. A city of 100,000 in a remote location was completely evacuated in just a few hours and everybody got out. Rescue shelters are open and operating in the towns along the highway south from Fort McMurray as well as in Edmonton and Calgary. Supplies to stock the shelters are coming from all across Canada. Firefighters and water bombers have arrived from Quebec, Ontario and BC. And the Canadian Parliament has approved money and disaster relief in a non-partisan vote in Parliament.
Terry
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