Fort McMurray obliterated

[Dizzy1]

ATB Financial is supposedly helping out by deferring mortgage payments and offering financial assistance to the victims.

[The Green Barbarian]

ATB Financial is supposedly helping out by deferring mortgage payments and offering financial assistance to the victims.

Oh man, next thing you know they'll be advertising that they are helping people out. Can't have that!

[JLives]

ATB Financial is supposedly helping out by deferring mortgage payments and offering financial assistance to the victims.

That's good news. How horrible to have to worry about covering the mortgage when you might not have a home or job to return to.

[Glacier]

Here's good news...http://globalnews.ca/news/2681293/out-o ... 25688637=1

High Level is approximately 400 kilometres northwest of Fort McMurray. It is the northernmost place in North America warm enough to grow grain crops commercially.

[pepsilover]

For our best friends, the four-legged kind. They mostly survive these fires, thankfully.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/lifestyle/pets ... ar-BBsEQ4g

[pepsilover]

Just got out of a meeting. All oil sands sites are being shut down and everyone is being evacuated starting today.

Hmmmm, what do you make of that? I've wondered from the beginning what if the fire reaches up that way.......

[Hassel99]

Hmmmm, what do you make of that? I've wondered from the beginning what if the fire reaches up that way.......

The sands themselves are not very flammable, most have had the forested areas cleared away so the project sites themselves should do ok as there is very little fuel load.

[vegas1500]

Hmmmm, what do you make of that? I've wondered from the beginning what if the fire reaches up that way.......

Heard that Suncor was using their equipment to build a huge fire break around their site. The area is massive so not sure if they will get it done.

[pepsilover]

I just googled to find out what could happen. Came upon this article.

http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/coul ... atch-fire/

<snip> In their natural state, the oil sands themselves aren’t particularly flammable. Bitumen has the consistency of molasses at room temperature, and is mixed with sand, making it burn at a slower pace if ignited (plus, 80 per cent of it is buried deep underground). But the same can’t be said of all the equipment and chemical processes used to extract and upgrade that bitumen into synthetic crude oil. Companies that mine and upgrade oil sands bitumen rely on massive pieces of machinery, high temperatures and high pressures to do the dirty work—producing fuels and feedstock. <snip>

more at link

[Dizzy1]

Its just a precautionary measure to ensure that all evacuees and non-essential workers are safe. The sands north of town aren't threatened as of yet.

[Frisk]

I checked the forecast for Fort McMurray, the weather will start cooperating next week, much cooler temperatures and possibly rain. It will take a very long time to contain a fire this big, but at this point it looks like the damage has already been done. I read an article this morning that said damage from the fire will easily exceed 10 billion $ which puts it well ahead of the 1991 Oakland Hills fire (2.7 billion $) as the costliest wildfire in history.

[Noisy Boater]

The wife and I have decided to give $100.00 to Red Cross mainly because we are so fortunate to have jobs, health, family and a home to live in. We are extremely lucky. We cannot begin to imagine the heartache of those in Ft Mac or those from here yrs ago. We decided to go to SPCA and take in someones pets during the Kelowna fire only to be put on alert ourselves. Fortunatley nothing happened. Justin will match my donation which means I am donating $200.00. Campfire bans should be in effect from April to November.

[ddiiaanne]

One road out and 50,000 people all trying to leave at the same time.
Everyone is stranded and most have now run out of gas.

I have friends and family who have been delivering gas and water to motorists stranded on the highway. The situation is a lot better today.
Social media has helped so much in helping those who need help.

The town of Lac La Biche has been working day and night to help the evacuees.

Many of the camps north of Ft Mc are now also being evacuated as the fire moves north.

[ddiiaanne]

Labatt's is now offering water from the brewery.

[Frisk]

It's amazing to see an entire country come together to help those in need. No matter how far apart we are, we're all Canadians and we will always have each others backs.