Alberta Flashcards
(24 cards)
When and where did the fire occur?
• Lasted for two months
• 1st May - 5th July 2016 - some areas were still smouldering
until the following spring.
How many people died because of the fire?
0
How many homes and businesses were destroyed?
2400
What were the impacts on services such as power and water?
• Power supplies disrupted.
• Water supplies contaminated as untreated water was
deliberately introduced into the municipal water supply to assist firefighters.
What was the cost of the fire?
• Costliest natural disaster in Canadian history.
• CAN$9 bn of damage to Fort McMurray (insurance company
estimate).
What was the effect on oil?
• 51% of the labour force in Fort McMurray were employed in the oil and gas industry and production was halted to the north of Fort McMurray. 600 work camps were destroyed by the fire).
• 1.2 million barrels of oil were lost per day for 14 days. This equates to a loss of $1 billion (0.3% of Alberta’s GDP in 2016).
• Global price of oil effected
How many hectares of land was destroyed?
600,000
How many species lost their habitats
500
. What was the effect on the air?
• Millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
• Toxic air pollution due to the burning of cars, factories, and buildings. Mercury and Lead detected as far away as the Gulf Coast.
What was the effect on water?
Air pollution has led to the contamination of water supplies. Mercury and lead have been detected in the Athabasca River.
Ash washed into rivers affecting aquatic species.
Was positive feedback loop occurred?
A positive feedback loop was created when the fire created its own weather patterns, triggering lightning which ignited new fires.
What were the political impacts?
• The fire fuelled debate about possible impacts of climate change and increased vulnerability in the future – fire season may be lengthened by earlier spring melts.
• Government officials oversaw evacuation programmes and liaised with emergency services.
How many people were evacuated?
• 90,000 evacuated (Including a third of the 25 000 workers in the nearby tar sands industry were evacuated).
What was meteorological information used for?
To predict the likely direction of the fire.
Apart from the usual emergency services, who else was mobilised?
Canadian armed forces
What helped update residents?
News coverage and social media were used to update residents. An online registry was created to help evacuees find accommodation.
What was brought in from neighbouring states?
Helicopters, waterbombers and firefighters
What was the response to impacts of air and water quality?
• The government of Alberta set up an air and water quality monitoring programme.
What was the schedule of the re-entry programme?
Re-entry programme was implemented by the government. This commenced in June 2016 and continued well into spring 2017.
How much money did the government give to help cover living expenses?
Evacuees given $1250 for adults and $500 for dependants by the government.
What helped local businesses recover?
Businesses played an important role in the recovery and clear up. $1000 was granted by the Canadian Red Cross to small businesses to encourage local contractors back into work. ‘Buy local’ campaigns introduced.
• Public transport links repaired, encouraging p
What was ‘Fire Aid’?
At the end of June, a benefit concert ‘Fire Aid’ took place to raise money for those affected
What are the three programmes that the government have designed for the future?
Disaster preparedness, FireSmart and Flood mitigation. The success of these schemes is yet to be seen.
How are the government preparing for another disaster?
The government has increased investment in the mitigation of natural disasters.
