Fort McMurray burns

[Barrister]

Fort McMurray evacuated as wildfire destroys homes, threatens downtown

60,000 flee as wildfire leaps highway and into city

CBC News Posted: May 03, 2016 9:28 AM MT| Last Updated: May 03, 2016 8:39 PM MT

A huge wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta., raged through neighbourhoods Tuesday afternoon, threatening the downtown core.

The entire city of 60,000 has been ordered evacuated. Residents fleeing the fire have caused gridlock on Highway 63 leading north and south out of the city.

Homes in Beacon Hill and the Centennial Trailer Park have been destroyed.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the fire moved into the downtown core.

Fort McMurray's only hospital, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, was evacuated as flames approached from the Waterways neighbourhood.

The fire also threatened the Abasand and Grayling Terrace neighbourhoods.

"We've had a devastating day," fire Chief Darby Allen said. "Fort McMurray has been overrun by wildfire."

Allen said firefighters were "a little worried" earlier in the day, but with the 30 C heat and dry conditions, once the wind came up the fire became an inferno.

"It's been the worst day of my career," Allen said. "It's a nasty, ugly fire and it hasn't shown any forgiveness."

Earlier in the day, the downtown area and 10 of the 12 neighbourhoods in the oilsands city were placed under mandatory evacuation orders because of the fire.

By 6:30 p.m., the entire city was under a mandatory evacuation order, making it the largest wildfire evacuation in the province's history, far surpassing the Slave Lake fire that made international headlines five years ago.

The province has closed Highway 63 and Highway 881 to Fort McMurray to all non-essential travel.

"All Albertans are watching this," said Premier Rachel Notley. "All Albertans are with the people of Fort McMurray."

Notley said she hopes to get up to Fort McMurray on Wednesday.

CBC has confirmed that senior military officials are preparing for a request to come from Notley on Wednesday for help to fight the wildfires.

The Department of National Defence could offer airlift and other transportation support for firefighting as well as logistical help.

The fire had barely hit the Centennial Trailer Park before John Davidson and his girlfriend, Joanne Bates, had lost everything.

"It was the second one to go," said Davidson. "It's probably all blown away now."

Behind him, the flames consumed what was left of the trailer park where his former home sat.

An out-of-control fire has swept into Fort McMurray, Alta., on Tuesday, forcing evacuation of the city. The out-of-control fire has burned neighbourhoods and moved into the downtown core.

An out-of-control fire has swept into Fort McMurray, Alta., on Tuesday, forcing evacuation of the city. The out-of-control fire has burned neighbourhoods and moved into the downtown core. (Terry Reith/CBC)

Davidson and Bates had lived there for more than a year and kept their vehicles and two snowmobiles there.

"Everything I worked for the last two years, it's all gone," said Davidson.

While the two commend the RCMP and the fire department, they are upset that they weren't able to get into the trailer park to get their belongings.

"It's a disaster," said Bates. "I think it's not fair. They didn't even let us take our things, so we lost everything."

Housing the Fort McMurray evacuees is now the immediate problem.

The evacuees who fled north from the town seeking shelter at oilsands camps have run into facilities already full.

"Realistically, we are seeing camps fill up. The camps closer to town have been filled," said Robin Smith, spokesman for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. "People are pushing on toward Syncrude."

The municipality is working with Syncrude to co-ordinate for the arrival of evacuees, Smith said. The camp is about an hour-long drive from town, he said.

"We are asking them to take as many as they can."

Shell Canada said it will open its Albian Village, about 85 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, to all resident evacuees.

The Fort McKay First Nation, about 50 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, also opened camps to evacuees.

The news won't get any better any time soon, said Bruce Muir with Alberta Forestry.

"This fire today with the temperature, the relative humidity ... the fuel is very explosive out there right now," he said.

Muir said the province has nine air tankers, a dozen helicopters, and more than 100 firefighters, with more on the way.

Firefighters are expecting a cold front to move into the area by mid-afternoon Wednesday, with winds gusting up to 50 km/h.

"So tomorrow is expected to be a more intense burning day than today is," Muir said.

Allen, the fire chief for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said the day began with 80 firefighters battling the main fire west of town, and another 10 taking on the spot fire across the river.

Overnight, the huge fire burning west of the town jumped the Athabasca River and ignited a small spot fire on the opposite side.

"We're in for a very rough day," Allen predicted at an 11 a.m. MT news conference.

Allen  also addressed confusion about the size of the fire. Estimates late Monday put the fire at about 1,800 hectares, and Allen said some people may have been surprised to see how much it had grown overnight. It was closer to 3,000 hectares by morning.

"We're not hiding anything from anybody," he said. "We don't know the size of that fire until we get up in the morning and get up into the air."

The fire picked up speed throughout the afternoon Tuesday.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-evacuated-as-wildfire-destroys-homes-threatens-downtown-1.3563977

Holy shit.  Ft Mac holds some 60,000 people.  All ordered to evacuate tonight.

We've had a super-dry El Nino winter, and the last few days it's been flirting with +30c.  Which has been bad enough in Edmonton, but has lead to massive forest fires near Ft Mac.

I hope and pray everyone is safe.

[Barrister]

Opposition Leader Brian Jean's house is up in flames.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/05/03/fort-mcmurray-fire-brian-jean_n_9834694.html

[jimmy olsen]

Wow! That's crazy!

[HisMajestyBOB]

That's terrifying.
Please keep us updated, because my regular news sites aren't covering this.

Although, this is pretty metal:

[Tonitrus]

I feel bad that I at first read the thread title as "Fred McMurray burns". 

But in all seriousness, best wishes/health for those involved. 

[viper37]

Are there plans in place to avoid the city being razed to the ground?

[crazy canuck]

Are there plans in place to avoid the city being razed to the ground?

Fire fighters from all surrounding communities, the armed forces and what resources BC can spare are on the way.  Unfortunately BC is contending with its own serious wildfire problem in the same geographical area and so the immediate assistance this Province can send is limited.

[Drakken]

Adding to the horrible experience of a whole town abandoning their house and belongings, Fort McMurray is one of Alberta's most productive oil areas. Oilsand fields and oil industry installations lay a mere 20 miles up North of Fort McMurray, right up along the highway going across the city.

I can't imagine the Hell it'll be if that fire moves North and reaches Suncor installations. 50 miles is a very small distance for such a forest fire.

My thoughts are for my fellow Albertans (and workers from other provinces) of Fort McMurray.

[crazy canuck]

And Fort McMurray is one of Alberta'a most productive oil areas, Oil fields and installations is a mere 20 miles up North of Fort McMurray, right up along the highway going across the city.

I can't imagine the Hell it'll be if that fire moves North and reaches Suncor installations. 50 miles is a very small distance for such a forest fire.

A lot of people are now housed in that oil sands infrastructure because the road south was blocked by the fire.

[Barrister]

Yeah a lot of the news last night was about the absolute disaster of people trying to flee Ft Mac.

One thing about Ft McMurray is that there is only one road south out of there.  So when 60,000 people were all trying to use that one road to get out... chaos predictably ensued.

Apparently there's one neighborhood where they estimate 80% of homes are destroyed.  Firefighters are trying to save the rest of the town however.

[derspiess]

I feel bad that I at first read the thread title as "Fred McMurray burns". 

But in all seriousness, best wishes/health for those involved. 

Ditto.

[garbon]

Keeping good thoughts.

[Barrister]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/wildfire-rages-in-fort-mcmurray-as-evacuees-settle-in-edmonton-1.3565573

[Monoriu]

The authorities seem to have done quite a remarkable job as nobody seems to be seriously hurt so far. 

[Barrister]

The authorities seem to have done quite a remarkable job as nobody seems to be seriously hurt so far.

That's been the one positive - nobody has been injured at all.