Alberta wildfire 2016 Flashcards
What were the main causes?
The fire ignited in a remote forested area to the south-west of Fort McMurray on 1st of May 2016.
The conditions for wildfires were favourable with a lack of winter snowfall and early snowmelt. This also included warmer than average temperatures of 30 degrees that dried out the ground.
This caused vegetation to become tinder dry.
Scientists have also linked the fire to a strong El Niño effect that may have caused unusually high temperatures.
Environmental impacts
The intensity of the fire severely affected the forests and their ecosystems due to the scorched soil and trees
The dry and peaty soils could re-ignite
The fire released several million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Toxins including mercury, lead and organic compounds released from burning trees, creating air pollution into the USA and Gulf Coast
Social
90 000 people forced to flee Fort McMurray
2400 homes and other buildings burned down in parts of Fort McMurray
Jobs and livelihoods were affected
Economic impacts
Initial insurance company estimates a suggested $9bn of damage was inflicted upon Fort McMurray
About a third of the 25000 workers in the nearby in the nearby oil sands industry had to be evacuated from work camps. Some 600 work camps were destroyed in the fire.
Political
Government officials had to oversee evacuation programs and liaise with emergency services
The fire fuelled a political debate on increasing likelihoods of wildfires
What were the responses?
An evacuation warning was issued in McMurray which allowed 90,000 residents to evacuate
The Alberta government declared a state of emergency and this triggered support from the Canadian armed forces. Helicopters, water bombers and fire fighters were brought in from the surrounding states.
In nearby Edmonton, an online registry supported by local government and business organisations was created to help evacuees find accommodation.
