I don't know how far this news has travelled outside of Canada, but the city of Ft McMurray (pop 88,0000) is in the process of being wiped out by a wildfire. The fire unexpectedly jumped the Athabaska river and they had minutes to evacuate once the order was given. Miraculously nobody has died yet.
So far about 1600 buildings are gone, and the smoke clouds are so massive they are creating their own lightning. It's like a nuclear bomb in slow motion. Authorities are saying the only way to control the fire is if they get some rain, which is unlikely over the next couple of days. It is a bitter reality that this whole city may disappear within the next few days, and 88,000 people will lose their homes and businesses.
http://www.cbc.ca/news (http://www.cbc.ca/news)
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fort+mcmurray+fire+&sm=1 (https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fort+mcmurray+fire+&sm=1)
The Canadian government will also match Red Cross donations. I know we have some forum members in Alberta and I hope they are safe.
https://donate.redcross.ca/ea-action/action?&ea.client.id=1951&ea.campaign.id=50639 (https://donate.redcross.ca/ea-action/action?&ea.client.id=1951&ea.campaign.id=50639)
thoughts and prayers for all those affected. Been through the same back in 2003 :empathy2:
We've had footage about it on the news over here in Australia, pretty devastating stuff, unfortunately something that happens all too often worldwide and impossible to control once underway.
We've seen it here too. I've been through one big fire many years ago in Korea. This is something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.
Tremendous devastation...
I watch a lot of news, but have seen nothing of it here in the US (but I'm not surprised). :sorry:
Poor buggers. I really feel for them. It's been some years since we've had a hot fire near my place. Every summer we expect something like that. So far so good.
I've been stuck in a couple of nasty fires. When they say minutes it is real. I actually had to drive under the flame front to get out of a pickle once. I never want to experience that again.
Thoughts are with them.
I have a few associates that work out there. The one I'm in touch with flew out of there back to Ontario and his family on Thursday after doing his last bus run to extract work crew and others from one of the camps.