The Alberta Wildfire 2016 Flashcards
When did Alberta wildfire occur ?
May 2016
How many evacuated ?
90,000 in fort McMurray
How many homes and businesses destroyed
2400
How many killed/ injured?
No one
How much land did it burn ?
600,000 ha
Equivalent to country of Norfolk in uk
Where did fire sweep through ?
Canada’s Alberta province
Where did the fire ignite !?
Remote forrested area SW of fort mcmurray
1st May
It was initially undercontrol
What did the wind do to the fire ?
Spread of fire into out skirts of fort mcmurray
What did effect did the fire have ?
Spotting
Where wind carries burned embers igniting fires ahead of actual fire front
Also jumped across rivers
Erratic spread
How were the environmental conditions favourable in fort mcmurray
Lack of winter snowfall ❄️ Early snow melt in spring. Warmer average temps which dried ground out. Very low humidity. Dry veg.
What were the environmental conditions after fire ignited?
Temps exceeded 30 degrees.
Winds increased.
Intensity of fire created own weather patterns like lightening - positive feedback as more fire ignited.
How can climate change be linked with the fire?
El Niño effect.
Usually warm temps.
Dry spring conditions.
Early springs extends fire season.
(However some say that increase in force could be a reflection of better reporting)
Name a place where serious loss took place.
Beacon hill
Name a place evacuated.
Parsons creek
Name 3 env impacts
- Affected boreal forest ecosystem due to species soil and burned tree roots.
- Release of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide.
- Ash leaking into water ways causing pollution, fish harmed.
Name 3 social impacts
- Power supplies destroyed
- Increased levels of anxiety about future, more frequent due to climate change.
- Jobs/ livelihoods impacted
Name 3 economic impacts
- €9 billion of damage
- Transports impacted - airport
- 1/3 of 25000 workers in oil sands industry evacuated
Name 3 political impacts
- Political debate about impacts of climate change - increase in vulnerability.
- Reconstruction programmes for buildings/ services needed to be coordinated
- Government officials oversee evacuation programmes.
What was the initial response ?
Careful monitoring of newly ignited fire using ground and satellite data.
Meteorological information used to forecast direction.
Emergency services / fire warnings issued
Why was the mass evacuation good?
Meant no deaths or injuries
What happened when Canadian government triggered state of emergency?
Canadian armed forces came in.
Helicopters, water bombers and firefighters.
Help from USA / russia
How much money did Alberta government give to residents ?
$120 per adult
$500 per dependent
How much did Red Cross give ?
$50 mill
When where residents allowed back ?
June.
Long process of cleaning and building
Priminister promised long term aid
What happened st the end of June ?
Benefit concert ‘fire aid’
Raise money for those affected
How long did fire last ?
400 days
What’s the main cause of wildfires in Alberta ?
Lightening 43%
Recreational 38%
Risk and vulnerability
Weather - dry/ warm/ low humidity / lightening.
El Niño
Global warming
Campfires
Large frequency but not much time to recover.
Some places rural so spreads easily
Describe what the Alberta wildfire would look like on park model
Steep gradient of deterioration - spread quick.
Shorter rehabilitation as mass evacuation / over seas help.
Longer reconstruction time as fire caused a lot of damage/ people could return to area until June.
It reached improvement
How much land did 2011 Alberta wild fire lose?
700,000 ya
