Fort McMurray Burns. Most of the Alberta city is being evacuated. - Polidicks

[b]UPDATED as of 6:15PM PST: [U]All residents of Fort McMurray and region have been told to evacuate.[/U] 70 000 residents are now taking highway 63 South before the fire closes the only road in and out.[/b] [img]http://www.metronews.ca/content/dam/thestar/uploads/2016/5/3/fortmacfire2-3.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg[/img] [img]http://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/146/55/GEOORAWFLETCHERHIT340_848x480_678756931718.jpg?w=670&quality=70&strip=all[/img] [quote]The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued a mandatory evacuation for 12 communities, including the entire lower townsite/downtown at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday as the wildfire situation worsened. The order was issued for the communities of: Abasand, Beacon Hill, Gregoire, Waterways, Draper, Saline Creek, Grayling Terrace, downtown, Thickwood, Wood Buffalo, Dickinsfield and Lower Townsite.[/quote] [quote]“We may not have enough room for everyone, but they are using our Grey Wolf location as a staging area where people can go and just be there and be safe,” Blaire McCalla said. “We are working with the municipality to ensure we can get them a place to sleep tonight.” The hospital in Fort McMurray – the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre – was being evacuated at 5:20 p.m. Gregoire residents were told to evacuate immediately to the Anzac Recreation Centre. The MacDonald Island evacuation centre was being evacuated by 5:15 p.m[/quote] [quote]Between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., Alberta Emergency Alerts said the north edge of the fire was “growing rapidly.” The municipality said Highway 63 southbound was closed at Mackenzie Boulevard. Highway 63 was closed at the Highway 881 intersection south of Fort McMurray.[/quote] [url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2677885/mayor-issues-warnings-as-fire-situation-in-fort-mcmurray-intensifies/]**SOURCE**[/url] I'd never though I'd live to see the day Fort Mac burned down. What an awful place to live. The highway is currently crammed full of cars. Some of them are jumping the shoulders and riding down the sides. There's so many Alberta jokes I could say.

My dad's up there right now for work but he's making his way to a safe zone. Stay safe, everyone.

Good Lord, the livestream footage looks like a nuclear apocalypse. Cars lying in the ditch along the highway, houses destroyed, and a bright orange sky high above.

Oh shit, what caused the blaze?

Jesus, the videos and pictures from people affected by the fire look like hell on Earth

It's official now. All residents of Fort McMurray and region have been told to evacuate. 70 000 residents are now taking highway 63 South before the fire closes the only road in and out. [quote]As of 6:20 p.m., all of Fort McMurray is under a mandatory evacuation order including MacDonald Island. The mandatory evacuation order means that about 70,000 people who live in Fort McMurray are being told to flee the city. Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management said the flames have burned a number of structures, but he couldn’t say how many. One hotel was seen engulfed in flames. Residents reported hearing explosions coming from gas stations as they tried to leave.[/quote] [url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2677885/mayor-issues-warnings-as-fire-situation-in-fort-mcmurray-intensifies/]**SOURCE**[/url]

[QUOTE=Daemon White;50252128]Oh shit, what caused the blaze?[/QUOTE] Record breaking heat, and an unexpected shift of wind that brought the fire to the city.

Here's a picture a friend sent me [img]https://scontent.fyhz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/13162017_10153944179810091_458187098_n.jpg?oh=8764daa1f48cfe34ab8e1a4db6ed823f&oe=572B9052[/img]

Fires are a constant threat in Alberta mainly because it rains once a month

[QUOTE=Arc Nova;50252433]Here's a picture a friend sent me [img]https://scontent.fyhz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/13162017_10153944179810091_458187098_n.jpg?oh=8764daa1f48cfe34ab8e1a4db6ed823f&oe=572B9052[/img][/QUOTE] Damn. 0_0

All Northbound lanes on 63 are now reversed. They're telling people to drive south on the opposite side of the highway to clear up the gridlock. [img]http://wpmedia.calgaryherald.com/2016/05/fortmacfire3.jpg?quality=55&strip=all&w=840&h=630&crop=1[/img]

Christ, it looks huge. Anything like this before?

People are speculating if the RCMP will cause a controversy there like High River. That is, if there's anything left to cause a controversy about. That looks really bad, holy crap.

My uncle over there said it was so black in some places because of the smoke clouds that it looked like it was night time.

It's expected to get worse tomorrow. Not looking good for the city. I wouldn't be surprised if over half of it burns down at this rate.

Someone I know from there says there's a lot of vehicles just on the side of the highway heading towards Calgary/Edmonton that either ran out of fuel or has almost none. He says it looks like a bomb just blew up the entire city.

[QUOTE=ewitwins;50252825]Christ, it looks huge. Anything like this before?[/QUOTE] Slave Lake, AB partially burned down in 2011, but this is blaze might end up being worse.

Apparently the Alberta Premier Rachel Notley cut the wildfire budget by 15 million when the NDP got in power. They also gave themselves a nice fat pay hike People are pissed. The diesel truck group I'm apart of (because 'berta) is driving up with sliptanks full of fuel and filling people up on the side of the road. Others are driving people out or loading up trailers with stuff to help them evacuate.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;50252866]People are speculating if the RCMP will cause a controversy there like High River. That is, if there's anything left to cause a controversy about. That looks really bad, holy crap.[/QUOTE] I can't see there being much of a controversy because with the way things are going, there isn't going to be a Fort McMurray in a couple days. I just hope everyone got out alright.

[QUOTE=64fanatic;50253606]Slave Lake, AB partially burned down in 2011, but this is blaze might end up being worse.[/QUOTE] Slave Lake was a tenth of the size. Donated to the red cross and I'm signing up as a volunteer if needed to help people out, this is fucking insane. We had a flood 3 years ago that turned Calgary into this: [t]http://newinfills.ca/app/uploads/2013/06/Calgary-Floods.jpg[/t] [QUOTE=pentium;50251847] I'd never though I'd live to see the day Fort Mac burned down. What an awful place to live. The highway is currently crammed full of cars. Some of them are jumping the shoulders and riding down the sides. There's so many Alberta jokes I could say.[/QUOTE] if you're taking any amount of pleasure in this, just stop. I get making jokes but going 'haha them stupid albertans!!' is really just.. gross dude; especially now.

[QUOTE=pentium;50251847] I'd never though I'd live to see the day Fort Mac burned down. What an awful place to live. The highway is currently crammed full of cars. Some of them are jumping the shoulders and riding down the sides. There's so many Alberta jokes I could say.[/QUOTE] Make some Alberta jokes about people losing their homes and city to a horrible fire, that would be hilarious!

My god, how do you end up with such a massive fire it's threatening to destroy a city of 80,000 people?! That's probably one of the worst wildfires I ever heard of.

[QUOTE=croguy;50253985]My god, how do you end up with such a massive fire it's threatening to destroy a city of 80,000 people?! That's probably one of the worst wildfires I ever heard of.[/QUOTE] Well Fort Mac is in the middle of scenic nowhere surrounded by nothing but oil fields and forest. It's a town that exists purely because of and for the oilsands. Has this hit any of the actual oilsands/oil mines/refineries? If it does, what are the environmental implications?

[QUOTE=Arc Nova;50252433]Here's a picture a friend sent me [img]https://scontent.fyhz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/13162017_10153944179810091_458187098_n.jpg?oh=8764daa1f48cfe34ab8e1a4db6ed823f&oe=572B9052[/img][/QUOTE] Looks like Hell on Earth, jesus christ.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;50254049]Well Fort Mac is in the middle of scenic nowhere surrounded by nothing but oil fields and forest. It's a town that exists purely because of and for the oilsands. Has this hit any of the actual oilsands/oil mines/refineries? If it does, what are the environmental implications?[/QUOTE] Oil operations are 20km north of the Fort McMurray iirc.

Jesus that looks terrible and must be pure terror. I've never experienced a fire like that in my life so I can't really really relate to it but it must be real awful. My thoughts run to you people living in the area and hope that they will be fine.

I can relate, I was present for the Kelowna firestorm and knowing you're basically stuck in a certain area due to a giant wall of fire is a terrifying thought. I just hope that Fort McMurrary recovers from this in the same way that British Columbia did, a lot of the towns that got roasted are beautiful now. Though hopefully no province in Canada will ever get fucked over as badly as BC did in 2003. IIRC they had like 2000 soldiers fighting a ton of separate forest fires.

[QUOTE=Johnny Guitar;50253787] if you're taking any amount of pleasure in this, just stop. I get making jokes but going 'haha them stupid albertans!!' is really just.. gross dude; especially now.[/QUOTE] Hence why I'm showing restraint. This isn't the time. Anyways, no new photos yet but it seems the blaze has passed and they're now mopping up the mess inside the city. [quote] Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Fire Chief Darby Allen told reporters Wednesday that crews managed to get some of the blazes in town under control, but there are still concerns about fires outside the northern Alberta city. “Firefighting staff have worked throughout the night, and all fires within the city have been extinguished,” Allen said.[/quote] [quote] But multiple homes and businesses have already been destroyed, after shifting winds on Tuesday afternoon pushed the flames into the southwest of the city. [B]The area of Beaconhill appears to have been hardest hit. Officials say that 80 per cent of the homes there have been destroyed[/B] but CTV Edmonton’s Breanna Karstens-Smith is touring the neighbourhood and says there is almost nothing left. “We have yet to come across the 20 per cent that has not been lost. It is completely levelled,” she said. “It’s just blocks and blocks of soot, basically.”[/quote] [img]http://i.cbc.ca/1.3565848.1462370765!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/beacon-hill.JPG[/img] [url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/fires-within-fort-mcmurray-extinguished-officials-say-1.2887111]**SOURCE**[/url]

[QUOTE=Valon Kyre;50253666]Apparently the Alberta Premier Rachel Notley cut the wildfire budget by 15 million when the NDP got in power. They also gave themselves a nice fat pay hike People are pissed. The diesel truck group I'm apart of (because 'berta) is driving up with sliptanks full of fuel and filling people up on the side of the road. Others are driving people out or loading up trailers with stuff to help them evacuate.[/QUOTE] Man, fuck Notley. I'm fucking ashamed I voted for the NDP and it just gets worse and worse. I'd have gladly kept the PCs if I knew they were going to pull such stupid shit. I have lots of family up in Fort Mac (because my family is from Newfoundland, and guess where all the Newfies go to make money), mom's cousin who works at the airport up there said shit was exploding when she was getting evacuated. [editline]4th May 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=pentium;50255775] [img]http://i.cbc.ca/1.3565848.1462370765!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/beacon-hill.JPG[/img] [url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/fires-within-fort-mcmurray-extinguished-officials-say-1.2887111]**SOURCE**[/url][/QUOTE] This looks like it could be a screenshot from Fallout or something holy shit.

This really fucking sucks. I heard that one of my friend's cousins house burned out. I hope for the best for the people effected by this wildfire. I'm surprised that there's a lot of people from alberta that go on facepunch.