Amazing Power of Nature - Massive Canadian Wildfire

[mooseontheloose]

Used to live pretty close to this area. The town of Fort McMurray has been hit extremely hard by the downturn of oil prices, and now this. Pretty amazing from a "Damn nature, you scary!" standpoint.

Alberta has expanded an evacuation order around Fort McMurray and declared a provincial state of emergency as devastating wildfires continue to rip through the city and surrounding area.

An estimated 1,600 structures have been burned and more than 80,000 residents forced from their homes ahead of the flames, which are expected to continue burning into the weekend.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/fort-mcmurray-fire-experience-1.3565940
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/fort-mcmurray-fire-state-of-emergency-declared-1.2888796

 

[bideau]

That is truly amazing. An entire town of 80,000 needing to be evacuated. Make us realize just how small we are in relation to nature.

 

[chevss454]

That is truly amazing. An entire town of 80,000 needing to be evacuated. Make us realize just how small we are in relation to nature.

And carelessness with fire...if someone is responsible they'll remember this their entire life. So sad.

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

Close to 90,000 people had to leave...that sucks. I'm sure the oil sands will take a hit from this.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Close to 90,000 people had to leave...that sucks. I'm sure the oil sands will take a hit from this.

Fort McMurray was already a ghost town compared to a few years ago. It experienced a big boom from oil and became one of the central hubs/bases for oil workers. The work dried up and the population (temporary and permanent) had dropped significantly.

Interestingly, Alberta is the only province in Canada that allows one to walk away from a mortgage. So when the market drops significantly (like in Fort McMurray) and you end up upside on your mortgage, you can simply return the keys to the bank and forfeit all ownership rights to the home and responsibility for the mortgage. You obviously lose any money applied to mortgage already. There's a bit more to it, but that's the quick version. I believe the bank can go after you for the difference if they sell it for less than the value of the mortgage.

Anyway, I know a lot of people were doing this in Fort McMurray. They moved out there from Ontario or the East Coast and when the jobs dried up and they went upside down on their mortgages they simply returned home. I wouldn't be shocked if a large number of abandoned homes were destroyed this week, essentially guaranteeing return for the banks through insurance and freedom from outstanding balances for the mortgagees.

 

[mooseontheloose]

That is truly amazing. An entire town of 80,000 needing to be evacuated. Make us realize just how small we are in relation to nature.

The first link in my OP is an analysis from a former firefighter. Gives a pretty cool overview of how this type of fire(storm) works.

 

[benhamean]

Sebastian Junger (of Perfect Storm and Restrepo fame) wrote an essay on Firejumpers- people that are dropped in the forest to fight fires- a few years ago. Very interesting.

One thing that contributes to truly massive wild fires is, ironically enough, fire control. 'Small' fires that would naturally deplete what they term the 'fuel' periodically are usually put out pretty quickly and the 'fuel' builds up. When a fire gets out of hand, there is an inordinate amount of stuff to burn. That's why many of us know the term 'controlled burn'- better to try and decrease the burnables in small batches than have one of these massive fires get way out of control...

Huge fires can create their own weather, as well. Fire tornadoes are a thing.

EDIT- ^ as described in the original post's first link. DOH!

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

Fort McMurray was already a ghost town compared to a few years ago. It experienced a big boom from oil and became one of the central hubs/bases for oil workers. The work dried up and the population (temporary and permanent) had dropped significantly.

Interestingly, Alberta is the only province in Canada that allows one to walk away from a mortgage. So when the market drops significantly (like in Fort McMurray) and you end up upside on your mortgage, you can simply return the keys to the bank and forfeit all ownership rights to the home and responsibility for the mortgage. You obviously lose any money applied to mortgage already. There's a bit more to it, but that's the quick version. I believe the bank can go after you for the difference if they sell it for less than the value of the mortgage.

Anyway, I know a lot of people were doing this in Fort McMurray. They moved out there from Ontario or the East Coast and when the jobs dried up and they went upside down on their mortgages they simply returned home. I wouldn't be shocked if a large number of abandoned homes were destroyed this week, essentially guaranteeing return for the banks through insurance and freedom from outstanding balances for the mortgagees.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Sebastian Junger (of Perfect Storm and Restrepo fame) wrote an essay on Firejumpers- people that are dropped in the forest to fight fires- a few years ago. Very interesting.

One thing that contributes to truly massive wild fires is, ironically enough, fire control. 'Small' fires that would naturally deplete what they term the 'fuel' periodically are usually put out pretty quickly and the 'fuel' builds up. When a fire gets out of hand, there is an inordinate amount of stuff to burn. That's why many of us know the term 'controlled burn'- better to try and decrease the burnables in small batches than have one of these massive fires get way out of control...

Huge fires can create their own weather, as well. Fire tornadoes are a thing.

EDIT- ^ as described in the original post's first link. DOH!

That's how I hope Goodell dies!

Puts a log in the fireplace to try and get a romantic nt going with the misses or Troy Vincent and a fire tornado jumps out of the fireplace and engulfs the prick!

God that'd be perfect!

 

[mooseontheloose]

 

[deec77]

Wow!

~Dee~

 

[chevss454]

Get out of there, Moose!! Like...now!

 

[Pneumonic]

NSFW ..... language ....

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AOC5YGyoGDw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[patsload]

Get out of there, Moose!! Like...now!

Moose is in Ottawa IIRC

 

[Darth Despot]

That is seriously petrifying.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I am! Definitely far away from this, although I still have friends in the area who are affected. Some of them literally walked off their jobs a few days ago to get out of there.

 

[Pneumonic]

I am! Definitely far away from this, although I still have friends in the area who are affected. Some of them literally walked off their jobs a few days ago to get out of there.

Same here. I have oodles of friends as well as relatives who have been affected. Been a lot of suffering going on in the tar sands for some time now; this is the last thing they needed. :-(

 

[chevss454]

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...mes-destroyed-in-beacon-hill-in-fort-mcmurray

Some good videos

Just awful

Another video taken by a weatherman

https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/10154201027464874/

 

[mooseontheloose]

Perspective re: size of this fire...

More at link: http://imgur.com/a/11OP7

 

[Darth Despot]

From Twickenham to Barking, that's serious.