Alberta Canada Wildfires-

[JRD]

I know we have at least one Forum member (Jet) who lives up in Ft McMurray, Alberta, Canada which is a raging inferno of wildfires.  Has anyone heard from him or any other of our Canadian members.  Hope they are safe. 

[Gio]

Thanks for the thoughts JRD ... have not heard from Jet, but know it is a bad deal up there - events like this make the world a much smaller place. My heart goes out to my fellow Canadians who have lost everything, but is comforting to know that there are others that care. Thank-you again for your thoughts.

[Jet]

Thanks for the thoughts JRD! Finally bought a new charger for my computer and came here! 

 

I have to hand it to my wife, she strapped our 9 month old to a Tula baby carrier, made three trips to the Jeep with all she could and a few days supply of milk for Hunter and tossed the cats into the kennels It was chance that I had filled up the tank the night before, she was lucky it still only took her 7 hours to drive to Edmonton. I had a terrifying phone call from her while I was at work prepping for my flight (which I still dont know why it was dispatched), She was screaming, and just as worse I could hear Hunter screaming, and the bloody cats. There I was helpless at the airport not able to get past highway 69 to 63 wondering how bad it really was getting.  She was stuck in traffic with embers hitting the jeep and wind shaking it and flames......well, some saw how close they got.  While she was stuck in traffic I believe she said she watched the fire/embaers travel to Kal Tire overhead and then it began to burn. Propane tanks exploding at the Centennial Trailer park on the immediate other side. 

 

Im sure many have seen the pictures and videos of what has occurred up in Fort McMurray, did anyone happen to see the one guy on the Harley trying to get out of one of the areas affected most, Beacon Hill? He looked.......HOT.  Still cant believe that fire jumped the highway as quick as it did and destroyed waterways. When I first moved here I was a bit of a vagabond, I lived in each on of those locations and each one of the residences I lived in is now gone.  The Condo we live in is right beside the firehall, it was saved thankfully.

 

In my place have a deep freeze with about a quarter of a cow left in it and no power. Its going to stink. 

 

I fly for one of the oil companies up here and my hats off to them for supporting the employees the way they have, (And the entire country of course, thank you).  We spent the week flying women children and pets from Mildred Lake, and mainly sent support/security north, and some folks to relieve the more critical positions they keep the mine running. I  flew the last bunch out on Friday after they announced the complete evacuation. 

 

If your ever in Edmonton looking for a great hotel, the DoubleTree in Mayfield has done nothing short of an exceptional job accommodating my family and our cats as well as hundreds of others, great choice. They have made customers for life. 

 

Were flying folks up tomorrow morning early to put the plant back online, I believe Suncor might have already started too. 

 

Thanks for thinking of me and the rest of us up here. 

 

Rich 

[docc]

Jet/Rich, thanks for letting us know. What an ordeal!

 

Be well, you and your family.

 

Seems Helicopterjim might could be in the thick of this, too . . . .

[Scud]

 

Im sure many have seen the pictures and videos of what has occurred up in Fort McMurray, did anyone happen to see the one guy on the Harley trying to get out of one of the areas affected most, Beacon Hill? He looked.......HOT. 

 

Glad to hear you and family are OK. 

 

Here's the video you referenced: