:ahwow:

I have friends up there and they said it was chaos trying to get out of town but they are now safe. I heard people were driving in the median, quads with their guns ripping past - almost a little apocalyptic movie scene like. Reports from this morning aren't too positive, hopefully the human loss is nil.

Facebook has set up this page for you to check on your friends, or for others to report them safe if you know they are okay:

https://www.facebook.com/safetycheck...?uid=527606466

I have many friends up there I've worked with for years. They are all safe luckily, but things are pretty bad from the sounds of it.

I've seen ignorant comments for all sorts of news pieces, but the stupid shit some people are saying with regards to this just takes the cake. These are human beings, families with children who are affected by this, fire fighters and emergency personnel risking their life to save the livelihood of these people. To wish harm or bad things upon them because of what the town is known for, or the work they do in that area is appalling. So far all the stories I have heard from the mac are of people helping each other. Like someone else in this thread said, if Vancouver we're to go up like Fort Mac is right now, I can only imagine how uncivilized the chaos would be. I mean come on we looted after our hockey team lost an inconsequential trophy.

Just got back from beautiful sunny calgary yesterday coming into YVR and having it cloudy and rainy....BrokeBack

heard they're using the other side for evacuation as well

Crazy Video

Some people on FB are so misinformed.
The NDP government cut the budget for fighting wild fires:
Alberta cuts nearly $15 million from wildfire management budget | Edmonton Journal

Budgets are not set in stone. They can spend whatever they want.

I think the lack of major roads helps control the chaos, Vancouver would be a gongshow with all the routes you could try to take to get out. As for the looting you can at least partially blame that on those knobs that came from out of town just to start a riot, a bit harder for that to happen during a sudden wildfire.

On a side note how the balls is the population so high? Looking on Google Maps Fort Mac is fucking tiny.

I have literally seen people post that "Notley cut the budget for fires up there in hopes that they wouldn't be able to control the wildfires so Fort Mac could burn to the ground"
I think the same people would believe she sets the price for oil, and she flew the plane into the world trade centre.

Highway is still pretty jammed up, lots of people with nowhere to go.

A large group of Rig welders seem to have banded together and are running up and down the highway with Fuel, water and snacks for those stuck in their cars or low on supplies. :thumbs:

I just found this link on another site for others to donate to the Red Cross specifically for these people that are losing everything: https://donate.redcross.ca/ea-action...campaign=NO-DM

I pitched in my $200, I hope others can find it within their means to help our neighbours during such a disaster.

There will be almost no work taking place in Ft. Mac over the summer as a result of the fire, if you work in Ft. Mac and rely on that income expect to endure a prolonged delay before you are able to return to work.

We had meetings this morning with three major producers, they are all expecting to operate with essential personnel only, other than operations and projects which are essential to operations everything else will be delayed until the city returns to some level or normal.

Hey Justin Trudeau. There's about 80,000 more refugees in Alberta right now with nothing but the clothes on their backs and no where to go home to. Except these ones are Canadians.

Your move.

Nothing but clothes on there backs???? you can't be serious.

I have a hard time finding the reasoning to donate money to causes like this.

Obviously there are people who don't work in the oil/gas industry who will indeed endure crazy hardships from this, but for a vast majority of the people there hasn't been a place with more decadence, overspending, lavish lifestyles as there are in places like this.

Imo this is on the provincial and federal government to look after. We're a first world country and this paticulat instance is the epicenter of Canadian wealth over the past 20 years. Sorry but Red Cross won't be getting my money, got enough problems and needs of my own to support this type of cause with all the background around it.

There is a simple reason - they are fellow countrymen in desperate need. Prejudice all you like about how you think they lived, it changes not whom they are truly are - average people like you and me.

Vancouver, by your standard, would be the epitome of 1st world decadence, living off the backs of those that work for your everyday needs. Now they need us.

Yup, I shudder to think what the internet comments from the rest of Canada would be if the big one ever hit Vancouver.

"More waterfront property at cheaper prices!"
"why do they need aid? They can all just get high off their BC Bud"
"great, now we can sell them to China at a discount"

I dunno.

I agree that these few days of evacuation and uncertainty are tough and need help for relief.

However, if these people had the smarts to buy insurance they should be able to get back on their feet and their lives going again after this all blows over.

Do you know what kind of work the red cross does?

They help setup temporary shelters for people, so they dont have to sleep in their car, they care for children, they help families, they provide meals, and first aid, etc. Stuff that is necessary before your insurance kicks in.

I heard literally the stupidest thing today, when emergency shelters were setup in one of the community centers, someone commented and said, "Oh their rich, they can afford hotels"...:fulloffuck:

Ever seen a hotel which has 60000 rooms? Yeah it doesn't exist.

To be fair, any home insurance that's worth its weight will provide for the reimbursement of temporary housing costs for a certain period of time. Even AirBnB lodging is valid for a lot of insurers.

I imagine we'll be hearing some stories of people not being sufficiently insured.

Again, there is 60 000 people being displaced by this. It's not cost or money, it's the fact that there simply isn't a permanent place large enough to house all those people.

That's where agencies like red cross step in and set up temporary places. This is where they excel, and that's what the money you donate to red cross goes towards.

I was kind of agreeing with that, it's for the period of evacuation that relief and aid is necessary.

My comment was more directed at what happens when this is all over, to say that these people will be left with "Nothing" is not true, unless they were negligent or too poor to afford insurance.

What the fuck do you expect him to do right now? Fly in a bunch of fucking helicopters with houses attached to drop down and provide everybody some instant housing?

Donated to the Red Cross ...

Going to stay off Facebook for a while or else I'm going to end up blocking half of my douchebag Fort Mac friends who act like they're doing the world a favour by being there. My wall is filled with more condescending bullshit and political (racist) tirades than actual information about the fire and well wishes towards the people who live and/or work there.

I'm all for helping those in need, however I've seen it happen multiple times where scumbags use things like this to cash in, so I'm pretty cautious about throwing money at things unless I can see how it can go straight to helping the cause immediately.

Also this may make me sound like an asshole but I have zero interest in helping people who chose to go without insurance (after the dust has settled and people are making insurance claims), they made that choice and I think they should deal with the consequences rather than have other people cover their losses.