Alberta Wildfire Flashcards
When did it occur?
May 2016
Where did it occur?
Canada’s Alberta province
How many evacuated the city of Fort McMurray?(00,000)
90,000
How many businesses and homes destroyed?(0,000)
2,400
How many hectares of land burned?(000,000)
600,000
What caused the fire to become out of control?
a change in wind direction
What percentage of the city was saved?
85%
What environmental conditions made the fire favourable?
- lack of winter snowfall
- early snow melt
- warmer than avg temps
- dried out ground
What had the intensity of the fire created?
its own weather patterns - lightening
What did the fire release?
several million tonnes of carbon dioxide
What toxins were released?
mercury, lead and organic compounds
What lead to water pollution?
ash contaminating the rivers
What did initial insurance companies estimate cost?
CAN$9bn
How many workers in nearby oil industries had to be evacuated?
1/3 of 25,000
What has the fire fuelled?
political debate about impacts of climate change and increased vulnerability
What programmes were set up and why?
reconstruction programmes for buildings/services/infrastructure
What was the initial response?
careful monitoring using ground and satellite data
What was used to forecast the fire?
meteorological information
What did the Alberta government declare?
a state of emergency which triggered support from Canadian armed forces/helicopters/firefighters
How did the Alberta government support evacuees?
provided CAN$1250 per adult and CAN$500 per dependant
What did red cross receive?
CAN$50 million
What happened at the end of June?
a benefit concert took place to raise money for those affected by the disaster
