Wild Fires Alberta Canada with Extreme Winds!

Hundreds more forced from their homes near Slave Lake



A PHOTO of the HOSPITAL BURNING!!! (UPDATE)

The number of evacuated residents near Slave Lake is climbing rapidly as forest fires continue to rage out of control near the community.

LIKE A WAR ZONE: Seems like a page out of a nightmare, our northern communities roads are closed, with no where to run. Hundreds of people are trapped in a town, with raging fires burning all around them. It is reported that the Police station and several other building structures in the town of Slave Lake, Alberta. Canada are on fire or have burnt down.
Some comments from very alarmed and very frightened people are saying that hey have a vehicle, but NO GAS, since gas prices are so high, and that many people cant afford the fuel.

The number of evacuated residents near Slave Lake is climbing rapidly as forest fires continue to rage out of control near the community. So far five homes and ten other buildings have been destroyed while strong winds continue to hamper firefighting efforts.

Close to 1,000 people have been forced from their homes since the fires broke out Saturday afternoon. Initially, about 260 people were evacuated from the Poplar Lane and Mitsue areas but Sunday afternoon, another 700 residents were ordered out of the area because of another fire burning southwest of the community.

Displaced residents are being sent to a Red Cross reception centre at Northern Lakes College. Two schools in the area are being set up as temporary shelters for evacuees.
There are about 70 wildfires throughout the province, with the one near Slave Lake considered the worst.
edmonton.ctv.ca... CTVNews/20110515/edm_slavelake_110515/20110515/?hub=EdmontonHome

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Sorry to hear about that! It is the first I hear of this. I just saw an article on yahoo! posted about the fires some 20 minutes ago... ( That I found after seeing your thread )

And the east is being flooded... If winds could pick up all that humidity and blow it all on Alberta!...

We're supposed to receive rain for the next 3 days, after two already...

I prey for the best for you all over there!

Yet in Manitoba they are expected to be facing severe flooding. I had no idea about Alberta having wildfires... thanks for the newsflash!

10 km from my home one of the worlds largest paper pulp mills has caught on fire.. thats like one huge fire pit... the plumes of smoke are incredible... I think if this gets out of hand.. we may be evactuated... I should get some pics eh?

Innertruths;

Yes, it's true! I think they decided to flood a farm, or group of farm to save many more? I saw that yesterday!

darylss;

Take care of the serious business first!

Coincidental for me upon seeing this topic and had an intention to travel to Hay River 2-3 months ago with nothing when I set upon a true spiritual leap. Anywho..

My condolences to what is going on around there from a BC brother.

The town is on fire now, and apparently burning out of control.

ca.news.yahoo.com...

RCMP spokeswoman Doris Stapleton says the town is on fire and many homes have been burned down.
She says no injuries have been reported.

On the tv news, they said they've lost the library, town hall, many homes.
They're evacuating the town now.

I heard about this tonight, it's very scary! I heard some people are trapped in towns because of the fires! They're 'landlocked' Heres one article www.theglobeandmail.com...

My Dad is driving back to Alberta today, couldn't believe it when he said that 30% of Slave Lake had burned down. Wild fires are a huge problem here in western Canada, I just hope they can get it under control soon as my Dad works around that area. Also my prayers go out to the families living there!!

I feel for these people, i'm from northern Manitoba and i've been through evacuation notices from an approaching fire, it's frightening with the unpredicability of fire to know you have to leave everything behind.

I can only imagine the insurance payouts are going to be crippling to tax payers, (is Alberta's insurance provincial runned?) compounded with the oil spill in Peace River....i predict an Alberta economic crisis is in the making.

We need rain here BADLY.

Just below the surface there's much moisture but everything above is totally bone dry!

I hope those fires don't find there way to my hometown (near Edmonton). Fires can jump immense distances, especially with the really strong winds we've had the last little while. Alberta's currently one big tinder box.

All my best to those affected. I hope there something left of Slave Lake when all is said and done!

Peace,

AS

Your link in the quoted post isn't working, or is it just me
nvm, just search Edmonton


Just had another thought, this could be very bad if it spreads to the oil fields... I don't want to be fear mongering just raising a concern...
Map of Oil Sands
Map of Northern half of Alberta
Slave Lake is at the far right of the lake roughly in the middle of the province, not too far (geographically) from the oil sands, I hope that the storm is not that strong and dies out before then and that no one gets hurt

Update:

40% of slave lake gone.

Alberta has called in hundreds of extra firefighters to battle a fire that's still burning out of control after destroying 40 per cent of the town of Slave Lake — and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

Most of the destruction happened in the southeastern section of town, where half the homes were consumed by flames.

Almost all 7,000 residents have been evacuated from the town, hundreds going to evacuation shelters in Athabasca, Westlock and Edmonton. Many found other places to stay.

Burned-out vehicles sit in a destroyed neighbourhood of Slave Lake, Alta., on Monday after a wildfire swept the town. (Todd Korol/Reuters)




Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach looks at the remains of a burned car in Slave Lake on Monday. (Ian Jackson/CP)




A firefighter from the Strathcona Fire Department searches for hot spots in a fire-swept neighbourhood. (Todd Korol/Reuters)




A row of new Ford trucks sit destroyed at the Ford dealership in Slave Lake. (Todd Korol/Reuters)




The town hall building in Slave Late, Alta., is pictured on fire, left, and in ruin after it was struck by a wildfire on May 15 and 16. (Rory Landry/Michael Dick)




An aerial photo taken by NASA's Aqua satellite shows fires buring near Slave Lake, in northern Alberta. (NASA)




Vehicles left behind in Slave Lake, Alta., were destroyed and partially melted by the wildfires on May 16. (Michael Dick/CBC)




Some houses in Slave Lake were completely destroyed by the forest fire on May 16. (Michael Dick/CBC)




A water bomber drops its load on a forest fire near Slave Lake, Alta., about 160 km north of Edmonton on May 15. (Ian Jackson/CP)




Smoke rises from the remains of a house in Slave Lake, Alta., which was destroyed by a firestorm on May 16. (Ian Jackson/CP)




A burned out truck is pictured in Slave Lake. (Ian Jackson/CP)




A truck drives through smoke on Hwy 2, near Slave Lake, on May 16. (Ian Jackson/CP)




Flames and smoke are seen in the sky near Slave Lake as vehicles leave the town on May 15. (Mitchel Nelson/Submitted)




Slave Lake residents park their cars and trucks on a road about 50 km outside of town on May 15. (Ian Jackson/CP)




Harley Spence watches smoke from the wildfires near Slave Lake from his backyard on May 15. (Amy McKinnon/Submitted)




Residents prepare to leave Slave Lake on May 15. (Amy McKinnon/Submitted)



All Images can be found archieved on the CBC here.

ETA:



-AS-

Dear Lord! Can you imagine loosing your whole town like that? I hope darylss is OK with his family.

And summer hasn't even started yet...

reply to post by NowanKenubi


We, in Alberta, need rain!

-AS-

Damn! My brother lives in Edmonton, 3 hours from this.
Poor people. My heart goes out to them and their town.

reply to post by AeonStorm


I was telling the OP last night that we were flooding here and wished for a strong wind to rise and bring all that humidity to your place to help, but he told me there were also flooding... This is so weird and tragic...

I prey that it rains sooner than soon. We don't need the country burning like Russia did last summer...

Originally posted by NowanKenubi
reply to post by AeonStorm

 

I was telling the OP last night that we were flooding here and wished for a strong wind to rise and bring all that humidity to your place to help, but he told me there were also flooding... This is so weird and tragic...

I prey that it rains sooner than soon. We don't need the country burning like Russia did last summer...

Please keep praying for rain and humidity here. We also need a reprieve from the wind The only place the may be flooding is in the most southern part of the province although I have not heard of this (but would not doubt mild flooding). OP, do you live in the south? Calgary or further south?

Any and all good thoughts and prayers are more then welcome.

-AS-

reply to post by AeonStorm


The OP lives in Slave Lake, the town that got destroyed... He is a part of the 7000 evacuees, no doubt...

It might be a while before we hear of him.

I heard Witley Streiber on Coast to Coast the other day talking about how we may face droughts this summer because of warm air moving down from the arctic. Something to do with the melting ice. Of course m not fear mongering, he said it MAY happen, not it WILL happen. Lets hope this isnt the start of something like that. I know to many farmers down south here who were hit bad with floods last year.

Ive been in Alberta 5 years now, and Id say its the warmest, and driest spring Ive seen ... Of course that doesnt mean much from such a part timer.

We should all say a prayer for these people.