Disaster for the town of Slave Lake, Alberta. Video.
Wind gusts that accelerated the advance of fires and grounded water bombers Sunday afternoon allowed the fire to jump two highways. Afterwards, it was free to tear through the Alberta town of 7,000 people. A long list of hundreds of buildings have burned down – including city hall, the police station, the radio station and countless houses.
[…]
Meanwhile, flames blocked all but one road, trapping many residents in the town and leaving officials to urge people to simply flee to wide open parking lots or beaches, and hope the fire doesn’t reach them. Traffic along the one highway was slow, as residents navigated through thick smoke amid waning daylight Sunday evening.
Main street – Town Hall.
This Reddit thread has more info – as if 9pm local time: Friend on Facebook just posted that the Brick, the library are GONE and the Ford dealer is on fire. Shocking! Edit: also the school and the Sawridge Hotel! Edit: 9:30 pm Also the hospital, the courthouse, the police station, 92.7 radio are now gone. Highway 2 east is open for now.
There seems to be little by way of media coverage yet, so Twitter seems to be the go to place, if you can keep up.
@790CFCW
Slave lake fire continues to burn out of control. Entire town of 7000 expected to be gone by morning.
Via Newswatch Canada, evacuation video. Frightening stuff.
The evac video is chilling. Glad they made it out.
Well at least it was Slave Lake and not some place good
The Alberta Red Cross is accepting donations for displaced Slave Lake residents. You can donate by calling 1-800-418-1111.
Other key contact numbers from CTV story:
• Family members looking for information on where medical patients were moved can call Alberta Health Services at 1-866-301-2668
• Anyone looking for help in finding family and friends in Slave Lake can call 1-780-523-3388 for assistance.
• The Alberta arm of the Red Cross is accepting donations for displaced residents. You can donate by calling 1-800-418-1111 .
Prayers for them all!
One number did not come through in the post above, to contact if one is looking for friends and family in Slave Lake area:
That is: 1-780-523-3388
http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110516/edm_evacuation_110516/20110516/?hub=EdmontonHome
Find that contact number at bottom of this CTV story, since it is not going to work to post.
Several hours into this major disaster, and apparently nobody at our billion plus dollar year state broadcaster has noticed. Unbelievable. Kate:
It didnt happen in Ontario, so it can’t exist.Nor is it important if not part of central Canada.
Its only news if its a proggresiv story from the hinterlnd. CBC should be called on the carpet for this gross lapse in common sense, if not incompetence. Candian content? What a joke.
A lot of tall timber in that country up there. It’s been very dry and a strong sustained SE wind over much of Alberta for the last week. Sounds like most got out which is the bottom line. Mother Nature is reminding us who’s in charge.
otterdriver >
Agreed – From what I can see by photo, City Hall, Library etcetera already had sheet metal roofing. So not allot of help there.
Lickmuffin >
“Do we really need to politicize building codes?”
No disrespect intended, but yes. Anytime the government forces us to do something we should question, debate it, and have a voice in it. Those who it affects the most should have the strongest voice.
You can donate to the Red Cross effort at Slave Lake here:
https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=56096&LangPref=en-CA&Referrer=http%3a%2f%2fwww.redcross.ca%2farticle.asp%3fid%3d39285%26tid%3d001
I did.
To add to the tragedy, there are several First Nations and Metis communities in the outlying areas which are rumored to be leveled as well. Good people. If you click on “Lesser Slave Wild Fire Update” you’ll see the neighbouring communities of Gift Lake, Whitefish, Kinuso and Red Earth listed as facing out of control fires. Some of those communities are rumored to burnt, but I haven’t heard that confirmed. I hope they’re ok.
http://www.srd.alberta.ca
Just heard from my friend from Slave Lake. Up until an hour ago he didn’t know if his house was still there. He just found out it didn’t make it… everything is burned to the ground. He and his fiancee are just about to get married next month. Prayers would be appreciated.
CBC is covering it on their website. (God I hate coming to their defense, but it’s the truth, so had to say it.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/05/16/slave-lake-fire-evacuation.html
My prayers to all the people in Slave Lake and surronding area. I am sorry you have lost so much. I loved driving through your town.
Otterdriver….that was an understatement at best.
Out of control forest fires are really firestorms. High winds are not necessary to make them beyond control. The enormous amount of thermal energy involved rivals a thunderstorm and usually spawns tornado like elements…only the debris, including burning, uprooted trees are involved.
These fire tornados can jump fire breaks and make water-bomber operations impossible. A shift of wind can send a “crown fire” across miles of forest like a match into gasoline.
Google “firestorm”.
A firestorm in the forest fits in the same category as a volcano, earth-quake or tsunami.
well well well.
I just got off the line with AB red cross and told them I would not be giving them a nickel because of the FACT in august 2005 I got LAUGHED IN THE FACE by 3 cops when I reported a theft.
y’all have a nice day!!!