I don't know if any of you have ever flown into this major oil-industry based city in northern Alberta but it's pretty tragic to see how the fires suddenly changed direction and escalated due to strong winds. Fortunately no one has been hurt or killed yet but about 88,000 displaced people. It could be many weeks before they are allowed to return back to see what they have left. As you can see by these videos, it was a very close and dire situation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZvas5uxno4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLBUK2NDmSs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKaM6bw_S5U

Looks bad is right. They need some serious rain. I flew the AL-Can Hwy back in the 90's, YMM was one of our stops. There have been many homes burnt to ashes, even with insurance it's a major upset.

Dry evergreen forest with some wind is a bad combination. I saw lightning mentioned as the probable start.

Some rain and cooler temperatures in the forecast but like you said, they need a few days of downpours which doesn't look likely for sometime. Now they say it could be months before people are allowed back into Ft. McMurray.


A guy at work used to live up there and said in his 4 years there, they always seemed to have some kind of fire issue but obviously, nothing remotely like this.

Nature...









































.....it happens.

Not directly from the fire, but a car crash during the evacuation killed two. Horribly sad.

Niagara region teen dies in a car crash in Ft. McMurray - Latest Hamilton news - CBC Hamilton

The season is just getting started.