Quote
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.
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
Wow! That's crazy! :o
That's terrifying.
Please keep us updated, because my regular news sites aren't covering this.
Although, this is pretty metal:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FFtOhXrp.jpg&hash=a8fd71f895a5dbb28b639a09dd56604c833673b3)
:punk:
I feel bad that I at first read the thread title as "Fred McMurray burns". :mad:
But in all seriousness, best wishes/health for those involved. :(
Are there plans in place to avoid the city being razed to the ground?
Quote from: viper37 on May 04, 2016, 08:06:22 AM
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.
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. :pinch:
My thoughts are for my fellow Albertans (and workers from other provinces) of Fort McMurray. :console:
Quote from: Drakken on May 04, 2016, 09:21:12 AM
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. :pinch:
A lot of people are now housed in that oil sands infrastructure because the road south was blocked by the fire.
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.
Quote from: Tonitrus on May 04, 2016, 01:10:54 AM
I feel bad that I at first read the thread title as "Fred McMurray burns". :mad:
But in all seriousness, best wishes/health for those involved. :(
Ditto.
:(
Keeping good thoughts.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.cbc.ca%2F1.3565848.1462370765%21%2FfileImage%2FhttpImage%2Fimage.JPG_gen%2Fderivatives%2F16x9_620%2Fbeacon-hill.JPG&hash=d3085125acfb4f6ea6bef9a87e7022ca99dfa989)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/wildfire-rages-in-fort-mcmurray-as-evacuees-settle-in-edmonton-1.3565573
The authorities seem to have done quite a remarkable job as nobody seems to be seriously hurt so far.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 04, 2016, 10:53:03 AM
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.
From last night - a picture of people leaving Ft Mac.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChlCC7GXAAEiXoM.jpg)
Wow...
Wow, that's really horrible.
They estimate 17-20,000 people fled north into oilsands work camps, and 35,000 fled south to Edmonton and areas. Those who fled north are assentially trapped - with no way to make it south. The good news is those work camps are built to house these kinds of numbers of people, so they should be safe and secure for awhile.
Overnight fire crews were able to extinguish every building fire, but they're worried with the daylight heat and increasing winds that it might be worse than yesterday.
:(
Quote from: Barrister on May 04, 2016, 11:22:09 AM
They estimate 17-20,000 people fled north into oilsands work camps, and 35,000 fled south to Edmonton and areas. Those who fled north are assentially trapped - with no way to make it south. The good news is those work camps are built to house these kinds of numbers of people, so they should be safe and secure for awhile.
Overnight fire crews were able to extinguish every building fire, but they're worried with the daylight heat and increasing winds that it might be worse than yesterday.
It's almost apocalyptic.
I've got a friend up there. Says he's safe and well supplied - so I assume he's in the work camp.
Two babies were born safely in one of the work camps from evacuees.
How did the fire get up to the town with no advance warning?
Quote from: crazy canuck on May 04, 2016, 09:10:04 AM
Quote from: viper37 on May 04, 2016, 08:06:22 AM
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.
Quebec is sending help too, it's low season for forest fires here, we barely got above 0C this week and there's still snow in the woods.
https://www.facebook.com/TheWeatherChannel/videos/10154254779790921/
Quote from: Admiral Yi on May 04, 2016, 01:16:29 PM
How did the fire get up to the town with no advance warning?
IIRC they thought it was under control, but it grew back in itensity.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on May 04, 2016, 01:16:29 PM
How did the fire get up to the town with no advance warning?
High temperatures 30C + and high winds. There was a wild fire in the area and people were on alert that it might move toward town. But when it did move, it was very fast.
Yi, here is an article that provides a detailed explanation of how it happened so fast.
QuoteBrian Burnett, head instructor at Wildfire Specialists Inc., an Ontario training school, noted that the Fort McMurray area was experiencing a weather condition familiar to forest firefighters, the Crossover.
The Crossover happens when the numerical value for the ambient humidity is lower than the recorded temperature.
On Tuesday in Fort McMurray, while the mercury soared towards 30C, the humidity dropped to 15 per cent.
"It's just a recipe for a wildfire. This is such a difficult situation," Mr. Burnett said in an interview.
Such hot, dry conditions were made worse by the wind which pushed the flames toward the city.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/albertas-highway-of-fire/article29863650/
I need to have a better mental plan on what to pack if I need to leave in an emergency.
First priority will be things that I absolutely need for immediate survival. Things like mobile phone, home keys, car keys, wet towel, wallet and passport.
Second priority will be valuable stuff and things that are difficult to replace, like cash, (wife's) jewels, credit and ATM cards, stash of foreign currency, ID documents, digital music files and anime subtitle files.
Third priority will be stuff that I use everyday. Ulcer and other kinds of drugs, some bottled water, some biscuits, toilet paper, some clothing etc.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 04, 2016, 10:02:30 PM
I need to have a better mental plan on what to pack if I need to leave in an emergency.
First priority will be things that I absolutely need for immediate survival. Things like mobile phone, home keys, car keys, wet towel, wallet and passport.
Second priority will be valuable stuff and things that are difficult to replace, like cash, (wife's) jewels, credit and ATM cards, stash of foreign currency, ID documents, digital music files and anime subtitle files.
Third priority will be stuff that I use everyday. Ulcer and other kinds of drugs, some bottled water, some biscuits, toilet paper, some clothing etc.
:lol: You're so fucked.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 04, 2016, 10:02:30 PM
I need to have a better mental plan on what to pack if I need to leave in an emergency.
First priority will be things that I absolutely need for immediate survival. Things like mobile phone, home keys, car keys, wet towel, wallet and passport.
Second priority will be valuable stuff and things that are difficult to replace, like cash, (wife's) jewels, credit and ATM cards, stash of foreign currency, ID documents, digital music files and anime subtitle files.
Third priority will be stuff that I use everyday. Ulcer and other kinds of drugs, some bottled water, some biscuits, toilet paper, some clothing etc.
You have some pretty weird priorities. A wet towel is essential for immediate survival? Music and anime get a higher priority that drugs you need to take?
Quote from: The Larch on May 05, 2016, 04:50:39 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 04, 2016, 10:02:30 PM
I need to have a better mental plan on what to pack if I need to leave in an emergency.
First priority will be things that I absolutely need for immediate survival. Things like mobile phone, home keys, car keys, wet towel, wallet and passport.
Second priority will be valuable stuff and things that are difficult to replace, like cash, (wife's) jewels, credit and ATM cards, stash of foreign currency, ID documents, digital music files and anime subtitle files.
Third priority will be stuff that I use everyday. Ulcer and other kinds of drugs, some bottled water, some biscuits, toilet paper, some clothing etc.
You have some pretty weird priorities. A wet towel is essential for immediate survival? Music and anime get a higher priority that drugs you need to take?
If I am trying to escape a situation with lots of smoke and fire, I imagine that a wet towel will help my survival chances substantially. At least that's the advice of our own fire department. It helps filter smoke.
I can buy and replace ulcer drugs easily. Just some generic drugs available at every drug store. Not getting them means some pain, but it isn't intolerable. Music files on the other hand represent a decade-old effort, with thousands of man hours invested into them. It is like 55GB, so just a USB thumb drive. The anime subtitle files are on the same device. So it is just "remember to take that thumb drive."
Quote from: Barrister on May 04, 2016, 11:06:56 AM
From last night - a picture of people leaving Ft Mac.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChlCC7GXAAEiXoM.jpg)
That's absolutely terrifying. I'd have a hard time not losing my shit.
Quote from: celedhring on May 05, 2016, 06:29:18 AM
Quote from: Barrister on May 04, 2016, 11:06:56 AM
From last night - a picture of people leaving Ft Mac.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChlCC7GXAAEiXoM.jpg)
That's absolutely terrifying. I'd have a hard time not losing my shit.
Back in the summer of 2006 we had some horrendous forest fires over here. One weekend I went away and, when going back, we had to drive through one of the areas where the fires were taking place (although it was safe to drive, and the fires were not as close to the road, although you could see them through the smoke). The landscape looked straight out of hell, huge clouds of smoke reflecting in crimson and red from the fires, ash raining on us for long stretches, really terrifying.
That picture is really impressive. Shame it's so tragic. Sometimes we need to be humbled by the awesome power of nature.
Apparently yesterday was more damaging than Tuesday, but with almost nobody left in Ft Mac except emergency personnel (who are too busy fighting fires to take pictures) there's no flashy photographs to show off.
Big concern now is saving essential infrastructure like the water plant and the airport.
Quote from: The Larch on May 05, 2016, 07:22:10 AM
Back in the summer of 2006 we had some horrendous forest fires over here. One weekend I went away and, when going back, we had to drive through one of the areas where the fires were taking place (although it was safe to drive, and the fires were not as close to the road, although you could see them through the smoke). The landscape looked straight out of hell, huge clouds of smoke reflecting in crimson and red from the fires, ash raining on us for long stretches, really terrifying.
The closest experience I have to that is back in the summer of 1994, which was the worst year in recent memory for wildfires in Catalonia. A big fire broke out in the Barcelona area and got to the outskirts of my hometown before it was put out. I remember playing in a soccer pitch with some friends, and stopping to watch in awe the flames and smoke coming off a nearby hill. It was a couple miles away from our position, but it was visible from all the neighborhood.
So the weather in Edmonton at least has finally broken. Instead of the insane +30c temps we've had the last few days, it's a more normal +12c and overcast. That's got to help with the fire in Ft Mac.
Bad news though is it is still pretty breezy.
Ft Mac fire could cost insurers up to $9 billion dollars, and would be the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/fort-mcmurray-insurance-cost-1.3568113
Quote from: Monoriu on May 04, 2016, 10:02:30 PM
I need to have a better mental plan on what to pack if I need to leave in an emergency.
First priority will be things that I absolutely need for immediate survival. Things like mobile phone, home keys, car keys, wet towel, wallet and passport.
Second priority will be valuable stuff and things that are difficult to replace, like cash, (wife's) jewels, credit and ATM cards, stash of foreign currency, ID documents, digital music files and anime subtitle files.
Third priority will be stuff that I use everyday. Ulcer and other kinds of drugs, some bottled water, some biscuits, toilet paper, some clothing etc.
You would need a server rack with removable hard drives.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChttGj4WsAAvGUv.jpg:large)
A series of dash-cam videos of the evacuation of Beacon Hill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQZxcSRGqlo
Quote from: viper37 on May 05, 2016, 02:59:06 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 04, 2016, 10:02:30 PM
I need to have a better mental plan on what to pack if I need to leave in an emergency.
First priority will be things that I absolutely need for immediate survival. Things like mobile phone, home keys, car keys, wet towel, wallet and passport.
Second priority will be valuable stuff and things that are difficult to replace, like cash, (wife's) jewels, credit and ATM cards, stash of foreign currency, ID documents, digital music files and anime subtitle files.
Third priority will be stuff that I use everyday. Ulcer and other kinds of drugs, some bottled water, some biscuits, toilet paper, some clothing etc.
You would need a server rack with removable hard drives.
Subtitle files are tiny. About 50k each. Even 10,000 files only take 600MB.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:07:13 PM
Subtitle files are tiny. About 50k each. Even 10,000 files only take 600MB.
If that really is on your second tier of "must save in case of emergency" it seems to me that you should maintain a few physical backups and possibly some remote backup as well.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:04:30 AM
Quote from: The Larch on May 05, 2016, 04:50:39 AM
You have some pretty weird priorities. A wet towel is essential for immediate survival? Music and anime get a higher priority that drugs you need to take?
If I am trying to escape a situation with lots of smoke and fire, I imagine that a wet towel will help my survival chances substantially. At least that's the advice of our own fire department. It helps filter smoke.
I can buy and replace ulcer drugs easily. Just some generic drugs available at every drug store. Not getting them means some pain, but it isn't intolerable. Music files on the other hand represent a decade-old effort, with thousands of man hours invested into them. It is like 55GB, so just a USB thumb drive. The anime subtitle files are on the same device. So it is just "remember to take that thumb drive."
Your list makes a decent amount of sense in the case of a fire in your building, but not in a more widespread disaster in which there might not be any drugstores open (or even standing).
Quote from: Jacob on May 05, 2016, 05:17:06 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:07:13 PM
Subtitle files are tiny. About 50k each. Even 10,000 files only take 600MB.
If that really is on your second tier of "must save in case of emergency" it seems to me that you should maintain a few physical backups and possibly some remote backup as well.
It is done. I once worked on data centres and I am afraid that the IT people's bizarre risk mindset has already infected me. Those guys worry about everything from power outages, earthquakes to extremely unlikely events that will never happen in a million years, like a fire burning down a building. So I keep a USB thumb drive in the office with all the digital music files and subtitle files, and I update it like every quarter.
Quote from: dps on May 05, 2016, 05:23:50 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:04:30 AM
Quote from: The Larch on May 05, 2016, 04:50:39 AM
You have some pretty weird priorities. A wet towel is essential for immediate survival? Music and anime get a higher priority that drugs you need to take?
If I am trying to escape a situation with lots of smoke and fire, I imagine that a wet towel will help my survival chances substantially. At least that's the advice of our own fire department. It helps filter smoke.
I can buy and replace ulcer drugs easily. Just some generic drugs available at every drug store. Not getting them means some pain, but it isn't intolerable. Music files on the other hand represent a decade-old effort, with thousands of man hours invested into them. It is like 55GB, so just a USB thumb drive. The anime subtitle files are on the same device. So it is just "remember to take that thumb drive."
Your list makes a decent amount of sense in the case of a fire in your building, but not in a more widespread disaster in which there might not be any drugstores open (or even standing).
I can bump the drugs one tier up if it bothers you guys so much :P
No. Better not.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:24:10 PM
Those guys worry about everything from power outages, earthquakes to extremely unlikely events that will never happen in a million years,
Weirdos.
One video of the evacuation.
https://youtu.be/i13EDTnoj1w
I have seen the evacuation videos and I am very impressed. There is good order, nobody honks, people obey police instructions etc. Car traffic in a random Chinese city behave much more erratically on any given day. Whereas Canadians behave in an orderly fashion even in life threatening situations.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 06, 2016, 09:04:19 AM
I have seen the evacuation videos and I am very impressed. There is good order, nobody honks, people obey police instructions etc. Car traffic in a random Chinese city behave much more erratically on any given day. Whereas Canadians behave in an orderly fashion even in life threatening situations.
One more reason for you to regret moving away from Canada. :P
Quote from: The Larch on May 06, 2016, 09:15:41 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 06, 2016, 09:04:19 AM
I have seen the evacuation videos and I am very impressed. There is good order, nobody honks, people obey police instructions etc. Car traffic in a random Chinese city behave much more erratically on any given day. Whereas Canadians behave in an orderly fashion even in life threatening situations.
One more reason for you to regret moving away from Canada. :P
There is no such regret. Not being able to find a job is a deal breaker :P
You didn't even try.
Quote from: Jacob on May 05, 2016, 05:17:06 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:07:13 PM
Subtitle files are tiny. About 50k each. Even 10,000 files only take 600MB.
If that really is on your second tier of "must save in case of emergency" it seems to me that you should maintain a few physical backups and possibly some remote backup as well.
dude has got like 12tb of hard drives filled to the brim with anime. There's no way you can get online storage at a decent price for such a huge amount of data.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 06, 2016, 09:04:19 AM
I have seen the evacuation videos and I am very impressed. There is good order, nobody honks, people obey police instructions etc. Car traffic in a random Chinese city behave much more erratically on any given day. Whereas Canadians behave in an orderly fashion even in life threatening situations.
British tradition, advancing under fire, executing orderly retreats, etc, etc. ;)
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:24:10 PM
It is done. I once worked on data centres and I am afraid that the IT people's bizarre risk mindset has already infected me. Those guys worry about everything from power outages, earthquakes to extremely unlikely events that will never happen in a million years, like a fire burning down a building. So I keep a USB thumb drive in the office with all the digital music files and subtitle files, and I update it like every quarter.
Yeah. We actually wasted a bunch of time on a nuclear strike contingency plan a few years ago. :bleeding:
Well, to be fair, we just called it that, but it was to deal with any generic disaster in which our Chicago and Louisville offices were simultaneously totally destroyed.
Quote from: viper37 on May 06, 2016, 12:27:28 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 06, 2016, 09:04:19 AM
I have seen the evacuation videos and I am very impressed. There is good order, nobody honks, people obey police instructions etc. Car traffic in a random Chinese city behave much more erratically on any given day. Whereas Canadians behave in an orderly fashion even in life threatening situations.
British tradition, advancing under fire, executing orderly retreats, etc, etc. ;)
It is basically how the beach at Dunquerque went. 'Pip pip line up chaps, wait your turn, mind the Jerry bombs, tip-tip-erary and all that'
Birkenhead drill. :)
The Ft. McMurray area looks pretty ethnically diverse. Is that due to oil sands industry?
Yes, it's the homebase.
Quote from: Caliga on May 06, 2016, 02:37:59 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:24:10 PM
It is done. I once worked on data centres and I am afraid that the IT people's bizarre risk mindset has already infected me. Those guys worry about everything from power outages, earthquakes to extremely unlikely events that will never happen in a million years, like a fire burning down a building. So I keep a USB thumb drive in the office with all the digital music files and subtitle files, and I update it like every quarter.
Yeah. We actually wasted a bunch of time on a nuclear strike contingency plan a few years ago. :bleeding:
Well, to be fair, we just called it that, but it was to deal with any generic disaster in which our Chicago and Louisville offices were simultaneously totally destroyed.
While I can't argue with the idea, is there any reason to think Louisville would be the target of a nuclear strike?
Quote from: sbr on May 06, 2016, 04:13:40 PM
Quote from: Caliga on May 06, 2016, 02:37:59 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:24:10 PM
It is done. I once worked on data centres and I am afraid that the IT people's bizarre risk mindset has already infected me. Those guys worry about everything from power outages, earthquakes to extremely unlikely events that will never happen in a million years, like a fire burning down a building. So I keep a USB thumb drive in the office with all the digital music files and subtitle files, and I update it like every quarter.
Yeah. We actually wasted a bunch of time on a nuclear strike contingency plan a few years ago. :bleeding:
Well, to be fair, we just called it that, but it was to deal with any generic disaster in which our Chicago and Louisville offices were simultaneously totally destroyed.
While I can't argue with the idea, is there any reason to think Louisville would be the target of a nuclear strike?
It's the center of the US whiskey production. The Russians believe that destroying this will cripple the NATO spelling alphabet, causing command and control problems all over the world.
Plus, would you want to live through the nuclear apocalypse without whiskey?
I wouldn't either.
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 06, 2016, 11:59:29 AM
You didn't even try.
I tried, and hundreds of thousands of people in similar situations also tried. The consensus is that one should make money in Hong Kong/China, but keep the wives and kids in Canada.
Quote from: Monoriu on May 06, 2016, 08:00:06 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on May 06, 2016, 11:59:29 AM
You didn't even try.
I tried, and hundreds of thousands of people in similar situations also tried. The consensus is that one should make money in Hong Kong/China, but keep the wives and kids in Canada.
That's a fantastic suggestion. The high point of me and my ex-wife's relationship was when I was working out of town and only home 3 nights a week. Once I started working locally again things went pear-shaped pretty quickly.
Quote from: sbr on May 06, 2016, 04:13:40 PM
Quote from: Caliga on May 06, 2016, 02:37:59 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on May 05, 2016, 05:24:10 PM
It is done. I once worked on data centres and I am afraid that the IT people's bizarre risk mindset has already infected me. Those guys worry about everything from power outages, earthquakes to extremely unlikely events that will never happen in a million years, like a fire burning down a building. So I keep a USB thumb drive in the office with all the digital music files and subtitle files, and I update it like every quarter.
Yeah. We actually wasted a bunch of time on a nuclear strike contingency plan a few years ago. :bleeding:
Well, to be fair, we just called it that, but it was to deal with any generic disaster in which our Chicago and Louisville offices were simultaneously totally destroyed.
While I can't argue with the idea, is there any reason to think Louisville would be the target of a nuclear strike?
Have you ever tried shooting a gun while drunk and hitting your target? Try with a ballistic missile now.
Quote from: sbr on May 06, 2016, 04:13:40 PM
While I can't argue with the idea, is there any reason to think Louisville would be the target of a nuclear strike?
Could be a friendly fire/fragging incident. In a time of crisis, ridding the country of the douchebag trio Bobby Petrino, Rick Pitino, and the Papa Johns guy may be judged worth the loss of Louisville.
Quote from: alfred russel on May 09, 2016, 05:18:42 PM
Quote from: sbr on May 06, 2016, 04:13:40 PM
While I can't argue with the idea, is there any reason to think Louisville would be the target of a nuclear strike?
Rick Pitino
:hmm: Would a nuclear strike kill a vampire?
Bloomberg really needs to get better headline writers. Wouldn't 15% of the city destroyed earn more clicks?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-09/alberta-oil-town-at-heart-of-wildfires-remains-85-intact
Quote
Alberta Oil Town at Heart of Wildfires Remains 85% Intact
So today is the first day people are being allowed to return to Ft McMurray.
QuoteReturning Fort McMurray residents face long road to recovery
Taking stock, establishing routine can help create feelings of normalcy, experts suggest
By Amy Husser, CBC News Posted: Jun 01, 2016 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Jun 01, 2016 6:16 AM ET
Trish Trefry knows her dream home near Fort McMurray is still standing, but she doesn't yet know if it's in livable condition.
Like many of the 88,000 residents who fled the northern Alberta community a month ago when "The Beast" wildfire moved in, Trefry and her husband will be heading back this week to assess the damage.
They will be taking with them a newly purchased trailer filled with water, food and a pair of air mattresses.
Going back to Fort McMurray? Here's what you need to know
Heavy police presence to greet 1st wave of returning residents
"It burnt literally right to our doorstep," says Trefry, counting herself lucky her home southeast of Fort McMurray is one of only four left standing on the street. "There's just this little pocket of homes that were saved somehow."
The Trefrys' insurance company has warned that if the foundation of their home was affected, the house could be a writeoff.
"I'm about to jump out of my skin, I'm so anxious. I just want to get back there, I need to be back there — even if it's just for a day," Trefry says. "I'd rather see for myself that I can't stay there rather than somebody tell me."
Slow and steady re-entry plan
Residents will be returning to Fort McMurray and the surrounding area in waves over the coming days, part of a phased re-entry aimed at slowly getting things back up and running after fire destroyed 10 per cent of the buildings in the community.
Officials have warned it won't immediately be business as usual.
Residents are being asked to bring enough food and water for two weeks, and prescriptions. Crews have been working to get businesses like banks and grocery stores up and running, but the opening of the airport and hospital, as well as garbage collection, will come later.
For returning residents, a feeling of normalcy is likely a ways off.
"I don't know how much people can totally prepare," says Judith Kulig, a University of Lethbridge professor.
Kulig, who has studied the aftermath of four major fires in Western Canada, including Slave Lake five years ago, says people could potentially relive the evacuation experience as they return.
With regular updates from the provincial government and images splashed across social media, most residents have an idea of how badly they've been hit. "But it will still be different to stand there and see the loss," Kulig says.
Australian studies have found post-traumatic stress disorder can be diagnosed years after a wildfire, she says.
No 'right way' to react
Evacuees should regularly assess their emotions in the coming days and weeks, Kulig suggests, keeping track of when and how often they feel overwhelmed, fatigued or irritable.
She also recommends individuals and families take inventory of their priorities, writing down pragmatic things, like household tasks, but also listing their values and principles as they seek to re-establish themselves.
It's also important to create routine, says April Nelson, an Edmonton-based psychologist who's been offering free counselling to evacuees. That should include regular sleep, exercise and work-related habits.
"Our feelings and emotions are the driving force of what we do," Nelson says. "[They] steer our everyday thinking, they steer our decision-making ... Being aware of that is going to be important.
"What comes out in situations like this, we can be very obsessive in our thinking," she says. "The key is to keep it forward-focused."
Lana Broks knows her future is not in Fort McMurray. Her family of four already know their home in the Wood Buffalo neighbourhood is gone and her husband has found a new job in Edmonton.
"In some ways I'm glad we don't have to go back to live in those conditions," she says. "But I'm also so sad that we don't have anything to go home to."
When the evacuation order came down on May 3, Broks rushed to her home through thick smoke, grabbed a few essentials and went to pick her two young daughters up from daycare. Her husband and brother stayed behind.
'It takes your breath away'
While fleeing the community alone with her daughters, ages two and 13 months, the youngest began throwing up, perhaps due to smoke inhalation. Broks had to pull over and get the baby out of her car seat, worried she would choke.
"You could hear it crackling and it was so smoky. The fire was right at the road," Broks said. "It seemed like we were driving right into the fire, but there was nothing we could do about it."
Her husband, Kyle, meanwhile, was forced to abandon his loaded-up truck on the side of the road after getting stuck in traffic. He ran along Birchwood Trail to the highway and caught a ride north.
"I was 99 per cent sure that the house was gone," Broks said. "But I kept trolling Facebook, desperate for a photo."
She soon found one.
Hundreds of undamaged homes unsafe due to toxic ash
Children still affected five years after Slave Lake fire
"The neighbour's house is still standing and looks great," she said. "But you wouldn't recognize [ours] if you didn't know what to look for ... It takes your breath away."
'Roller-coaster of emotions'
Focusing on positive habits can be a powerful coping mechanism, says Nelson. "Establishing that mindset, it's going to put things in perspective for the next little while."
Scott Myers, born and raised in Fort McMurray, called the past month a "roller-coaster of emotions." But he says he'll return home Wednesday with an "open mind."
He knows he's fortunate: the gas has already been turned back on and he thinks all he'll need to do is replace the refrigerator and freezer.
"I'm prepared to stay, but that depends on how everything progresses up there.... It's my hometown, I don't plan on abandoning it."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/fort-mcmurray-returns-psychology-1.3609331
So apparently even homes that are still standing may have substantial smoke or heat damage. Also reports a number of homes were looted during the time away (many were eft unlocked - so great was the rush to get out of town).
Those poor people.
Oh and Michael Moore taught me that Canadians always leave their doors unlocked.
Wow, I had no idea the town was still evacuated, crazy.
Tough stuff for those people returning to burnt out towns and areas. Best of luck to them in coping with it all.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 03, 2016, 06:08:30 AM
Wow, I had no idea the town was still evacuated, crazy.
Yeah, a full month for the all-clear. That's tough.