16. Case Study: Alberta Wildfire

Question 1

Location

Answer 1

Canada’s Alberta province

Question 2

Causes/ contributing factors

Answer 2

• A shift in the wind direction resulted in a blaze that tore into the outskirts of Fort McMurray
• Spotting -> wind carried burnin embers ignite fires well ahead of the actual fire front
• A lack of winter snowfall + an early snow melt in spring combined with warmer than average temps that dried out the ground.
• Late April = temps soared, low humidity, vegetation in area became dry
• Strong El Niño effect

Question 3

Economic impacts

Answer 3

• Initial insurance company estimates suggested CAN $9 bn of damage was inflicted upon Fort McMurray.
• About 1/3 of the 25,000 workers in the nearby oil sands industry had to be evacuated from work camps.
• Transport was affected, including at the nearby airport.

Question 4

Social impacts

Answer 4

• 90,000 people forced to flee Fort McMurray
• 2400 homes and other buildings burned down in parts of Fort McMurray
• Jobs and livelihoods effected
• Increased levels of anxiety about future
• Power supplies disrupted
• Significant PTSD and other mental health effects present 18 months after

Question 5

Environmental impacts

Answer 5

• Scorched soil and burned tree roots affected the boreal forest ecosystem
• Dry and scorched peaty soils could reignite at any time until the 1st heavy rainfall.
• Fire released several million tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere.
• Ash washed into water sources

Question 6

Political impacts

Answer 6

• Political debate about possible impacts of climate change and the increased vulnerability
• Government officials had to oversee evacuation programmes and lease with emergency services in implementing evacuation programmes.
• The Alberta government had to oversee a phased and safe re-entry to ensure they’d be safe + secure.

Question 7

Short term responses

Answer 7

• Mass evacuation programme implemented and 90,000 residents escorted to safety.
• Support from the Canadian armed forces -> helicopters, water bombers, fire fighters
• Government provided CAN $150 per adult and CAN $500 per dependent to help cover living expenses
• South Africa sent 301 firefighters at the request of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre

Question 8

Long term responses

Answer 8

• June -> residents gradually allowed to return to Fort McMurray to begin the long process of cleaning + rebuilding
• Benefit concert, Fire Aid, took place in Edmonton to raise money for those affected by the disaster