Lesson 24-What were the impacts and responses to the Alberta Wildfire?

Question 1

What happened in the Fort McMurray, Alberta wildfire for it to be so devastating?

Answer 1

• El Nino and it was mild in the winter season
  -higher than normal temps and humidity and 30km/h winds
  -surounded by borreal forests that are pyrophytic
  -gov told people to cut down trees and people did not as they were fopcussed on their house appearence

Question 2

Facts of Alberta wildfire?

Answer 2

• May 2016 a large fire called trhe Beast occured and took until August 2017 to be extinguished
• 90k evacuated and 0 injured
• 24,000 homes destroyed
• fire covered 1,500,000

Question 3

What were the warnings before the fire ?

Answer 3

• Local state emergency was declared 1st of May
• April rain was 20% less than normal
• High pressure declared in May
• Mandatory evacuation in Prarie Creek

Question 4

Causes of the fire?

Answer 4

• El nino-water change temp changed in the Pacific and therefore temps over western and central Canada in winter months and drier conditions in spring
• Weather-thermal anomele of 2 degrees which meant that vegetation was drier
• Climate change-Caused temp anomele as it was 15 degrees higher than normal

Question 5

Short-term responses?

Answer 5

• Evacuation of 90,000 residents
• State of emergency declared
• Well organised treatment of injuries
• Aircrafts were used to shoot retardants at fire

Question 6

What were the economic impacts of the fire?

Answer 6

• $9bn in damage
• Shell Canada shut down with 6000 work camp units destroyed costing $1bn

Question 7

What were the environmental impacts of the fire?

Answer 7

• Several tonnes of CO2 released into the atmosphere
• Toxinc including Mercury,lead and organic compounds created air pollution in USA and on the Gulf Coast
• Serverely affected borreal forest ecosystem, scorched soil and burnt tree roots

Question 8

What where the social impacts of the fires ?

Answer 8

• 90,000 evacuations
• 2400 homes burnt down in Fort McMurray
• Increased levels of anxiety about the future

Question 9

Long-term responses

Answer 9

• June 2016 benefit concert-‘Fire Aid’ starring Nickelback
• Long-term aid promised by Canadian prime Minister
• Gov provided $1250 per adult and $500 per child to cover living costs
• Online regostering set up to support evaccuees find new accomodation

Question 10

How successful was the management of the fire?

Answer 10

• Some parts were defended and still stand today
• Airport suffered only minor damage despite being around flames and engulfed by smoke

-took 4 and a half days for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to esscort all evacuess from cities near Fort McMurray
-officials predicted it would take weeks and weeks for fire to be put out

Question 11

Is Alberta more prepared for future wildfires?

Answer 11

• The Regional Municipitality of Wood Buffalo created a wildfire recovery plan
  -framework recover
  -funding of $5.4 billion needed
  -reconstruction still ongoing
  -in 2018 onloy 20% of destroyed homes had been rebuilt
  -867 hectares of vegetation was destroyed
  -safety standards improved