[Thanos]

Gonna be some major controversy if they find out that Ft Mac and the province half-assed it on fire services within the city itself, especially in terms of fire hydrants. Or if it was just too expensive to live up there that they couldn't hire enough firefighters to fill the jobs. There's no secret the rush to build up there had some major fuck ups happen, with the Penhorwood condos debacle being the worst example so far. If cheaping out, building too fast, incompetent/non-existent inspection, or graft in the contracting-out has helped contribute to making this disaster even worse than it already is then it'll be a permanent black eye on the entire province.

[ShepherdsDog]

I don't know what boots on the ground are going to accomplish against this fire right now. They're going to need water bombers.

[Delwin]

Thanos Thanos:

Gonna be some major controversy if they find out that Ft Mac and the province half-assed it on fire services within the city itself, especially in terms of fire hydrants. Or if it was just too expensive to live up there that they couldn't hire enough firefighters to fill the jobs. There's no secret the rush to build up there had some major fuck ups happen, with the Penhorwood condos debacle being the worst example so far. If cheaping out, building too fast, incompetent/non-existent inspection, or graft in the contracting-out has helped contribute to making this disaster even worse than it already is then it'll be a permanent black eye on the entire province.

Everyone is entitled to safety, but what you said is especially true when you consider:

$1:

The average household income in Fort Mac is about $180,000. The average house price is almost $750,000. The majority of the population is under 40. The unemployment rate is about four per cent. The population in the region is 104,000, has doubled in the past decade and will grow by double-digits for years.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/busine ... 65415.html

Sorry old link, a lot has changed but the premise remains.

[Robair]

Slave Lake has to be big enough for the Martin Mars?

[andyt]

water bombers are not some magic to kill fires, especially for large fires. They are most effective in slowing down a fire until ground crews can get there. Access certainly shouldn't be an issue here.

$1:

Thus, the water bomber is seen as the magic bullet, the answer to the bushfire maiden’s prayer.

Interestingly, nothing along these lines is heard from the land management fraternity (of which I am one). We advocate fire prevention and damage mitigation, with firefighting as the last resort, only needed when an effective land management program has broken down. We understand that forest fires must be fought “dry” — with bulldozers constructing fire lines, along which crews can move to contain and mop-up the fire edge. In this approach water is used for mopping up the fire edge, but not for constructing the edge, which (in forest country) it cannot do. We regard the growing reliance on water bombing as futile, foolish and wasteful.

https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed- ... c-bullets/

$1:

The scientists concluded that the advantages
of water bombers are very margina l.
giving a satisfactory result only when quite
small fires c;an be cra uglat before they get
out of control.

http://www.ecosmagazine.com/?act=view_f ... C50p18.pdf


The call for the Mars comes up every year, but it just doesn't seem worth it and costs a fortune.

[BRAH]

OMG!

[sandorski]

It's like a real life Armageddon. Have some relatives that had to evacuate. Crazy situation.

[andyt]

Last year we had it in BC, just not such large towns affected. Fire season is only starting, could get a lot worse.

[Thanos]

With the industrial park, several car dealerships, schools, four or five hotels, three gas stations, residences, and a whole shit load of small businesses from restaurants to field services located there alone, if they can't save the Gregoire area it'll be a multi-billion dollar insurance disaster.

[BRAH]

25,000 Ft above Fort McMurray.
Instagram has some insane pictures.

[Thanos]

Unconfirmed blog report on CBC says the Beacon Hill area on the west side of 63 heading into downtown has been lost.

[martin14]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/ ... -1.3563977

The whole city ordered evacuated.

[sandorski]

Thanos Thanos:

Unconfirmed blog report on CBC says the Beacon Hill area on the west side of 63 heading into downtown has been lost.

damn. IIRC, when I lived in Fort Mac we called that Area 2 or 6 and I attended a school there for Grade 5.

[BRAH]

@JohnFurrToronto is a piece of shit.

[Thanos]

It's important to peel back the false face of an undeserved national reputation for politeness and friendliness to see what really lies underneath. It's like looking into a toilet someone didn't bother to flush after sitting on it for half and hour, but it remains a necessary thing to do every once in a while to keep the myths at bay.