Featured: Fort McMurray wildfire: here’s how you can help or get help U.S. jobless claims rise; pl

[Freewill]

Yes sir, vote for Mrs. Tuzla Clinton so she can continue the destruction Obama started.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, posting the biggest gain in more than a year, but the underlying trend continued to point to a strengthening labor market.

Another report on Thursday showed a 35 percent surge in planned layoffs by U.S.-based employers last month. Most of the announced job cuts were concentrated in the energy sector, which is reeling from low oil prices that have hurt profits.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 274,000 for the week ended April30, the Labor Department said. Last week's increase was the largest since February of last year.

U.S. jobless claims rise; planned layoffs surge

 

[waltky]

'Perfect storm' boosted Alberta fires...

'Perfect storm' of El Niño and warming boosted Alberta fires
Thu, 05 May 2016 - The El Niño weather phenomenon and ongoing climate change have both contributed to the devastating Alberta wildfires, according to experts.

The weather phenomenon has caused much drier conditions than normal, leading to a massive increase in the number of fires in the province. Alberta has had 330 wildfires already this year, more than double the recent annual average. Global warming has also seen wildfire seasons lengthen considerably since 1979, according to studies.

Dry winter

Alberta and much of western Canada experienced a serious drought last year. So great was the impact on farmers, the province declared an agricultural emergency. The dry conditions continued through the winter with the western part of Canada then feeling the impact of El Niño. Scientists say the current El Niño event is one of the strongest on record, with the effects felt all over the world including a reduced monsoon in India and droughts in parts of Africa. "We've had an incredibly dry winter, we didn't have enough snow pack," said Prof Judith Kulig from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, who believes a "perfect storm" of factors, including El Niño, has come together to cause the huge fire. "This year the fire season officially began March 1st, last year it was March 15th. These are significant changes when the fire season used to begin in May and now begins in March." That fingerprint of El Niño saw Fort McMurray record a temperature of 32.6C earlier this week, which is significantly above the normal high temperature for early May of around 14C.

Not local but global

Many researchers believe that El Niño was not the only factor increasing the likelihood of a major fire in Alberta. They point to the bigger global picture of rising temperatures, which in the first four months of this year are running more than 1C above the long-term average. In January a Canadian study suggested that warming would lead to a "higher frequency of extreme fire weather days" across the country. The author of that paper, Dr Mike Flannigan from the University of Alberta, seems in little doubt that climate change was at least partly responsible for the outbreak around Fort McMurray. "This is consistent with what we expect from human-caused climate change affecting our fire regime," he told reporters.

Temperature map​

A number of research papers have highlighted the fact that warming is leading to an increase in wildfire risk. Studies have also shown that northern latitudes are feeling those impacts more strongly. "Some of the changes can be ascribed to improvements in reporting but there are datasets which show the fire season has lengthened," said Prof Martin Wooster, from King's College, London. "There have been papers that have shown that not only in theory the conditions are there for longer, but also the actual area of burn has increased over the past half century." "That sort of thing is more likely to be able to be said in Canada than in other places."

One factor that is often overlooked in the race to discover the causes of natural disasters is demography. Just before the last major El Niño in 1997, the population of Fort McMurray was just over 30,000. The last census indicated it was over 60,000. More people means not just a greater impact when fires occur, it also suggests the chances of one starting are increased. "There is this thing called the wild land urban interface, which is where people's homes get increasingly close to environments still undeveloped - and fire is able to come out of these 'natural' areas," Prof Wooster said. "And if you get more people you are more likely to get ignitions."

'Perfect storm' of El Niño and warming boosted Alberta fires - BBC News

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New evacuations around fire-struck Fort McMurray in energy heartland
Thu May 5, 2016 - A massive wildfire near Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, that has grown to five times its initial size has spread south, forcing more evacuations on Thursday after 88,000 people fled the city in the nation's energy heartland.

The uncontrolled fire, which has consumed swathes of the city, has shut oil production in the area, driving up global oil prices and affecting projects and pipelines across the heavily forested region. Map of the Fort McMurray fire - (tmsnrt.rs/1TtvIOD) Officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation communities, located about 50 km (31 miles) south of the battered city of Fort McMurray, which was evacuated Tuesday. At least 640,000 barrels per day of crude output is offline, according to Reuters calculations, roughly 16 percent of Canada's crude production. The outage is expected to climb as major players in the region cut production. [O/R] Conoco Phillips said it was evacuating its small 30,000-barrel-per-day Surmont project, south of Fort McMurray.

The winds also pushed flames toward the local airport, with web cam images showing black smoke engulfing the airport late on Wednesday evening. Officials confirmed that a hotel north of main terminal had caught fire. Officials on the scene were forced to evacuate a make-shift emergency operations center for the second time in less than a day, and the spreading flames threatened community centers feeding and housing evacuees from Fort McMurray. Fire has intermittently blocked the only route south toward major cities, so thousands of evacuees drove north toward oil sands facilities and a few small settlements but no route out. The forecast has called for cooler temperatures and a possibility of rain, offering hope that controlling the blaze could become easier. Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but fatalities were reported in at least one vehicle crash along the evacuation route.

A helicopter flies into thick smoke while battling a major forest fire outside of Fort McMurray​

Thousands bunked down for the night on Wednesday in arenas, hockey rinks and oil work camps that were often short of fuel and food. Fire also threatened the airport, and web cam images showed black smoke engulfing the area late Wednesday evening. Officials confirmed that a hotel north of the main terminal had caught fire, but as the sun rose on Thursday new images of the airport showed no obvious damage. Firefighters have been unable to stop the wildfire, which has charred 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) since it erupted on Sunday and exploded in ferocity. "It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," Scott Long, an official with Alberta's emergency management agency said. Hot, dry, windy weather has made the massive wildfire all but impossible to control. The entire city of Fort McMurray was ordered to evacuate on Tuesday, and some 1,600 structures have been destroyed, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said on Wednesday.

Temperatures hit 31 degrees Celsius (88°F) on Wednesday. But on Thursday, Environment Canada forecast a high of 19 degrees Celsius (66°F) with a 30 percent chance of rain. The average high in the area is 15 degrees Celsius. A government forecast map of potential fire intensity still showed some areas around Fort McMurray at class 6, the highest level. Late Wednesday, the regional government fielded questions on Twitter from frightened evacuees north of the city, asking when they would be able to drive south, and whether areas north of the city were safe. "We haven't forgotten about you and you're safe," said the government on Twitter.

New evacuations around fire-struck Fort McMurray in energy heartland

 

[waltky]

Canadian fire: Evacuation convoy halted...

Canada wildfire grows to apocalyptic proportions
Saturday 7th May, 2016 – The wildfires that were kindled in Fort McMurray, Alberta have reportedly further grown into a leviathan blaze.

According to reports, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley confirmed on May 5 that the blaze has consumed 85,000 hectares, an area larger than New York City, up from just 10,000 hectares just the day before. Reports added that Canadian officials are making arrangement to move more evacuees even further from their current refuges in a mass highway convoy.

Further, 8,000 people were reportedly airlifted from near the blaze and rescue operations continued on May 6 as well, bringing the total count of evacuees to more than 80,000. A state of emergency has reportedly been declared in Alberta, and 1,100 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers were fighting 49 fires.

Reports added, that in spite of the attempts to control the blaze, Alberta’s manager of wildfire prevention, Chad Morrison, said their hopes were pinned on rainfall. He stated that the fire “is going to continue to push through these dry conditions until we actually get some significant rain.”

Further, officials claimed that the fires may grow in the coming days, but has also been moving away from the community of Fort McMurray and surrounding areas. Videos of the wildfire are reportedly being circulated on the Internet, with many people, including evacuees, describing it as “absolutely apocalyptic.”

Canada wildfire grows to apocalyptic proportions

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Canadian fire: Evacuation convoy halted due to huge flames
Fri, 06 May 2016 - The only evacuation convoy leaving the Canadian city of Fort McMurray has been suspended due to 200ft (61m) flames flanking the road, officials say.

The police-escorted convoy of 1,500 vehicles was due to pass by the southern part of the city en route to Edmonton and Calgary. Parts of the city in the province of Alberta have been left devastated after a wildfire struck earlier this week. Officials had said it would take four days to to move all the evacuees.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called upon Canadians to donate to charities assisting relief efforts. "I would once again like to thank the many first responders who are working tirelessly, day and night, to fight this fire," Mr Trudeau said. "To those who have lost so much: we are resilient, we are Canadians, and we will make it through this difficult time, together."

Weather forecasters predict a 40% chance of rain this coming Sunday, which may help to slow the fire's spread. More than 1,000 fire fighters and 150 helicopters, 295 pieces of heavy equipment and 27 aircraft tankers have been deployed, according to the Canadian government. But Chad Morrison, Alberta's manager of wildfire prevention, said that what they really need is rain. "We have not seen rain in this area for the last two months of significance," Mr Morrison said.

Canadian fire: Evacuation convoy halted due to huge flames - BBC News

 

[Timmy]

Suddenly we believe unemployment numbers !?

Canada has seen a real spike in wildfires a over the last few years . But climate change doesn't exist!!!

 

[waltky]

Convoy gets out of fire zone...

Convoy leads Canada fire evacuees through burning city to safety
Fri May 6, 2016 - Alberta Convoys of evacuees stranded by a wildfire raging in and around the Canadian oil town of Fort McMurray made their way on Friday through the heart of the devastation on the only highway out of the region, as officials warned that the blaze could soon double in size.

Wind-whipped flames roaring through forests and brush parched by a spring heat wave have engulfed nearly 250,000 acres (101,000 hectares) in western Canada's energy heartland since erupting on Sunday. The blaze, the largest of 40 wildfires burning across the province of Alberta, has forced some 88,000 residents, the entire population of Fort McMurray, to flee for safety, and has threatened two oil sands production sites south of the city. At least 10 oil sand operators have cut production due to evacuations and other emergency measures that complicated delivery of petroleum by rail, pipeline and highway.

A flock of birds fly as smoke billows from the Fort McMurray wildfires in Kinosis, Alberta​

With winds on Friday pushing the fire's leading edge to the northeast, away from town and into open timber, authorities said the blaze was expected to rapidly expand its footprint even as the threat to populated areas waned. Chad Morrison, an official with the Alberta government wildfire unit, told reporters in the provincial capital Edmonton, about 270 miles (430 km) to the south, the blaze was likely to double in size by late on Saturday, the end of its first week. The full extent of property losses in Fort McMurray, has yet to be determined, but authorities said some 1,600 structures were believed to have been destroyed. One analyst estimated insurance losses could exceed C$9 billion ($7 billion).

Flames rise in Industrial area south Fort McMurray, Alberta Canada May 3, 2016.​

Earlier in the week most evacuees headed south by car on Alberta Highway 63, the only land route out of the area, in a slow-moving exodus that left many temporarily stranded on the roadside as they ran out of gasoline. But other residents who initially sought shelter in oil camps and settlements north of the city found themselves cut off in overcrowded conditions. They were forced on Friday to retrace their route back through Fort McMurray on Highway 63 as flames continued to spread. With parts of the city still in flames, evacuees in some 1,500 vehicles began making the 30-mile (50-km) trip at 4 a.m. in groups of 50 cars.

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[waltky]

Fire 'destroys 20%' of Fort McMurray...

Canadians drive through burning city seeking safety
Saturday 7th May, 2016 - Canadian police led convoys of cars through the burning ghost town of Fort McMurray on Friday in a risky operation to get thousands of people to safety on the other side.

In the latest harrowing chapter of the drama triggered by monster forest fires in Alberta's oil sands region, the convoys of 50 cars at a time made their way through the city at about 50-60km/h, TV footage showed. Police took up positions at intersections along the way to keep people from detouring to try to salvage belongings from charred homes and make sure the route remains safe from the fire, which has encircled the town of 100 000, now evacuated. Three army helicopters hovered above to sound the alert if the flames get too close to the road, Highway 63, or cut it off completely, as has happened in recent days. The people being evacuated - for a second time, after first abandoning their homes - had fled this week to an area north of the city where oil companies have lodging camps for workers.

But officials concluded they were no longer safe there because of shifting winds that raised the risk of them becoming trapped, and needed to move south to other evacuee staging grounds and eventually to Edmonton, 400km to the south. About 8 000 people were airlifted out of the northern enclave on Thursday on helicopters and planes. The road convoys are for the remaining 17 000. Before they got under way officials had to make sure the escape route was passable, and truck fuel in so people had gas to make it across a city in flames. Television footage earlier this week showed trees ablaze on the edge of highways crowded with bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to leave town as billowing black smoke darkened the sky. Bright embers whizzed wildly through the air and floated down onto cars, like hot, orange rain.

Real rain is not expected for a couple of days. "We understand that this is still an active situation. The wildfires are still raging," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference on Friday. "It's likely going to be several weeks before the situation stabilises," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Garrett Woolsey said. Displaced people are finding shelter with friends, family and even strangers close to Fort McMurray, but also as far away as Edmonton and Calgary, Trudeau said. The government has declared a state of emergency in Alberta, that is home to one of the world's most prodigious oil industries. The flight from Fort McMurray began in earnest shortly before midnight on Tuesday after a mandatory evacuation order.

Alberta has been left bone-dry after a period of unusually scant rainfall and unseasonably high temperatures. More than 1 100 firefighters are battling 49 separate blazes across the province - seven of them totally out of control. The fires have engulfed 100 000ha of forest, including at least 12 000 in the area surrounding Fort McMurray, now the epicentre of the inferno, where 2 000 homes have been destroyed. Oil companies crucial to the region such as Suncor, Syncrude and Shell have pulled out non-essential employees, and all three have slashed output. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said on Thursday that people evacuated from the city face a long wait to return home. "I must be very, very direct about this," she said. "It is apparent that the damage to the community in Fort McMurray is extensive, and the city is not safe for residents at this time."

Canadians drive through burning city seeking safety

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Canada wildfire: 20% of Fort McMurray homes destroyed, says MP
Sun, 08 May 2016 - The MP from Fort McMurray, a Canadian city devastated by a huge wildfire, tells the BBC about 20% of homes there have been destroyed.

About a fifth of homes have been destroyed in Fort McMurray, a Canadian city ravaged by a huge wildfire, the local MP has told the BBC. After touring the damage David Yurdiga said it might be years before the city was running normally again. More than 100,000 residents of the city and surrounding area fled after an evacuation order was issued. Officials say the fire, now burning for a week, grew more slowly at the weekend than first feared. Firefighters held key areas and the blaze now covers about 1,610 sq km (620 sq miles) - less than the 1,800 sq km (700 sq miles) estimated on Saturday.

Mr Yurdiga said while most of the city was intact the area was still too dangerous for residents to return home. "An estimate: 20% of the homes have been burnt, but the majority of homes are standing, no damage at all," Mr Yurdiga said. "So you know what? It's a lot better than I thought it was." On Sunday, fire chiefs spoke of getting a "death grip" on the fire, which has been fed by hot weather and tinder dry terrain. "With a little help from mother nature and a bit of a break in the weather, and all the hard work of all the firefighters we were able to hold most of the line in Fort McMurray," said Chad Morrison from Alberta wildfire.

But it could be months before the fire is fully brought under control. Officials warned only significant rainfall could fully halt its spread. The fire is being blown east away from communities, but still threatens to cross from Alberta province into neighbouring Saskatchewan. Air quality warnings have been issued for Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories, with locals advised to close windows and doors due to smoke. The final evacuations of 25,000 people who headed north from Fort McMurray after the blaze began was completed on Sunday. Schools in the provincial capital Edmonton are arranging for displaced families to send their children to local schools from Monday.

No deaths or injuries have been reported from the fire, but two people died in traffic accidents during the mass evacuation. The fire is expected to be the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history, with insurance costs alone already running into billions of dollars. Fort McMurray is in the heart of Canada's oil sands country, and the region has the world's third-largest reserves of oil. Workers at major oil companies have also been evacuated. As much as a quarter of the country's oil production has been halted by the fire, raising concerns about the effect on the Canadian economy.

Canada wildfire: 20% of Fort McMurray homes destroyed, says MP - BBC News

 

[xband]

Kroger grocery store is hiring for seventeen bucks per hour, starting out pay announced over the public address speakers only yesterday when I was shopping there. Kroger is Union so you will have to join the union.

 

[waltky]

Mebbe the firefighters gettin' a break...

Canada Reaches Turning Point in Combating Wildfire
May 09, 2016 - Canadian officials say they have reached a turning point in combating the huge wildfire that has destroyed a large area of the province of Alberta in western Canada.

Cooler temperatures and light rain in the region have made for "great firefighting weather," said Chad Morrison, an Alberta fire official. "We can really get in there and really get a handle on this fire and really get a death grip on it." While the flames so far have not reached any major oil processing facilities, they remain closed and global oil prices have soared over concerns about the Canadian fires. It is not immediately clear when processing facilities will open. Many oil workers have been evacuated and are camped out with their families.

Smoke and flames from the wildfires erupt behind a car on the highway near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada​

Facilities closed for weeks

Mark Routt, chief economist for the Americas at KBC Advanced Technologies in Houston, told Reuters, "When you have an operator and his family needs to be evacuated, the plant may be in good shape, but what is the operator going to do?" Routt estimates oil production will be shut down for at least two or three weeks. Alberta is home to the world's third-largest oil reserves, behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley noted the fires are a lot smaller than what authorities believed they were, but still have destroyed 160,000 hectares. Notley said experts anticipated the flames would have doubled in size by Sunday, but have instead grown very slowly.

The red arrow locates Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.​

Hundreds of firefighters

The fires also have not crossed the border into neighboring Saskatchewan, as was feared. At least 1,500 firefighters are working to prevent the fire from spreading. Nearly 90,000 people in the city of Fort McMurray grabbed what few belongings they could and fled when the fire started. David Yurdigan, a lawmaker, visited Fort McMurray Sunday and said afterwards he is more optimistic than he had been. "I toured probably every neighborhood in Fort McMurray and 80 percent of the homes are standing," Yurdigan said. "Some areas you don't even know there was a fire."

Canada Reaches Turning Point in Combating Wildfire

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Fort McMurray wildfire slows slightly as it nears Saskatchewan
May 8, 2016 -- The massive wildfire that has displaced 90,000 people in Alberta Province the past seven days was moving more slowly Sunday as it headed in the direction of Saskatchewan Province.

But Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says with low humidity and high temperatures and gusty winds, conditions are still extreme. The fire was 25 miles from Saskatchewan Province. She also lowered the reported size of the devastated area from 494,000 acres -- three times the size of Edmonton -- to 98,326 acres. The fire has consumed more than 1,600 homes and buildings. "We may be turning a corner but its too early to celebrate," said Ralph Goodale, federal minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. "This beast is an extraordinarily difficult problem."

Chad Morrison, senior wildlife manager for Alberta, expects to be fighting the fire for "days to come" unless the region receives at least 4 inches of rain. Matthew Anderson, wildfire information officer with Alberta Agriculture, told CBC News conditions will vary the next several days. "We do have some difficult weather, some interesting weather, coming up," he said. "There's another cold front coming through and ahead of that front it's going to be very gusty." More than 500 firefighters were working to contain the fire with 15 helicopters and 14 air tankers.

The firefighters are concentrating on saving infrastructure. Notley said late Saturday much of Fort McMurray was without electricity or drinkable water. "There's a great deal of hazardous material to be cleaned up and many other things to be done before the city is safe for families to go home," she said. Rescue crews and police say it will be several days before workers can clear debris and residents an move back to their homes if they are spared.

Fort McMurray wildfire slows slightly as it nears Saskatchewan

Related:

Canada Wildfire Smaller Than Officials Believed
May 08, 2016 - Some reportedly expected blaze would have doubled in size by Sunday but fires instead have grown much more slowly

There finally is some encouraging news about the huge wildfire that has destroyed a large area of Alberta in western Canada. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the fires are a lot smaller than what authorities believed they were. Notley said experts anticipated the flames would have doubled in size by Sunday, but have instead have grown much more slowly. The fires also have not crossed the border into neighboring Saskatchewan, as was feared.

Fire trucks drive toward smoke from a wildfire near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, May 8, 2016. Officials said Sunday they were hoping to get a “death grip” on the blaze amid cooler temperatures.​

Alberta fire official Chad Morrison said the much cooler weather is great for firefighting and can give firefighters the chance to put the flames in what he called "a death grip." As of midday Sunday local time, 161,000 hectares in northern Alberta were still burning, and thousands of people had sought safety in emergency shelters.

A plane flies low to dump fire retardant on wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada​

The fire has wiped out nearly the entire city of Fort McMurray, forcing 88,000 people to grab what few belongings they could carry and flee for their lives. Alberta is home to North America's largest oil sands deposits. The flames so far have not reached any major oil processing facilities.

Canada Wildfire Smaller Than Officials Believed

 

[waltky]

Fort McMurray saved from worst of wildfire...

Alberta PM says Fort McMurray saved from worst of wildfire
May 9,`16 -- At least two neighborhoods in this oil sands city were scenes of utter devastation with incinerated homes leveled to the ground from a wildfire that Fort McMurray's fire chief called a "beast ... a fire like I've never seen in my life."

But the wider picture was more optimistic as Fire Chief Darby Allen said 85 percent of Canada's main oil sands city remains intact, including the downtown district. Alberta's premier declared the city had been saved, adding that officials hope to provide a schedule within two weeks for thousands of evacuated residents to begin returning to their homes. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said about 2,400 homes and buildings were destroyed in the city, but firefighters managed to save 25,000 others, including the hospital, municipal buildings and every functioning school. "This city was surrounded by an ocean of fire only a few days ago but Fort McMurray and the surrounding communities have been saved and they will be rebuilt," Notley said.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley speaks to members of the media at a fire station in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Monday, May 9, 2016. A break in the weather has officials optimistic they have reached a turning point on getting a handle on the massive wildfire​

Notley got her first direct look at the devastation in Fort McMurray on Monday after cold temperatures and light rain had stabilized the massive wildfire to a point where officials could begin planning to get thousands of evacuated residents back. The break in the weather left officials optimistic they've reached a turning point on getting a handle on the massive wildfire. The temperature dipped to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) on Monday following a week where the region had unseasonably warm temperatures. Notley flew in Monday morning to meet with local officials and took a ground tour of the town before holding a news conference at the emergency center. "I was very much struck by the devastation of the fire. It was really quite overwhelming in some spots," Notley said. "But I will also say that I was struck by the proximity of that devastation to neighborhoods that were untouched."

More than 40 journalists were allowed into Fort McMurray on a bus escorted by police. The forest surrounding the road into town was still smoldering and there were abandoned cars. Only the sign remained at a Super 8 Motel and Denny's restaurant on the edge of town. The Beacon Hill neighborhood was a scene of utter devastation with homes burned down to their foundation. Allen said at one point the fire jumped across a road in Beacon Hill that is 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) wide. "It jumped that without thinking about it. This was a beast. It was an animal. It was a fire like I've never seen in my life," he said on the media bus. In the early stages of the fire he feared that as much as half the city could burn down "I just want to let the people know that we're in pretty good shape," he said. "Typical of the damaged areas you'll see structures that are completely gone and structures that are intact."

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James Taylor to donate money to fire-ravaged Fort McMurray
May. 9, 2016 - James Taylor is using his music to help people evacuated from a huge wildfire in Canada.

The "Carolina in My Mind" singer has turned two Alberta concerts next month into benefits. Proceeds from tickets to his shows in Calgary on June 7 and Edmonton on June 8 will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross to help victims of what Taylor says is a major national catastrophe that's just impossible to ignore. "It's really a part of human nature to respond to things like this by wanting to lend a hand if you can. You'd like to feel as though people would be there for you if you were in a similar situation," Taylor told The Associated Press by phone on Monday.

Singer-songwriter James Taylor performs in concert at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. Taylor is using his music to help people evacuated from a huge wildfire in Canada. The “Carolina in My Mind'' singer has made two Alberta concerts next month into benefits. He says proceeds from tickets to his shows in Calgary on June 7, 2016, and Edmonton on June 8 will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross.​

Taylor says the idea came from conversations with his Canadian manager Sam Feldman as he arrived for a 15-concert tour of Canadian cities over the next month. He said the two shows would raise "at least a quarter of a million, maybe a $100,000 more than that." "Live Nation are donating their portion of the show ... the two buildings that the shows are in are donating their part to it," Taylor added. "It's building some momentum and we hope it encourages other people to volunteer." More than 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray have been displaced by the fires, which began last week. Taylor has frequently participated in fundraising events.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b455...give-concert-money-fire-ravaged-fort-mcmurray

 

[waltky]

Coping with fiery devastation...

Mixture of loss, hope for Canadian town hit by wildfire
May 10,`16 -- Charred bicycles lean on a fence in front of incinerated townhomes. Just across the street, a school and playground are untouched.

Across this Canadian oil sand town, the contrast is repeated: neighborhoods that burned to their foundations, while other neighborhoods, strip malls, car dealerships, schools and hospitals are still standing. Nearly a week after people started evacuating Fort McMurray as a massive wildfire surrounded them, more than 40 journalists were allowed into the city Monday on a bus escorted by police, as the forest surrounding the road into town still smoldered. The first neighborhood seen, Beacon Hill, was an example of the worst a fire can do. At one lot, a barbecue sat in the driveway, a few feet away from a charred pickup truck, its wheels melted into the ground, the debris surrounding them the scattered components of what was once a house.

Lot by lot the scene was repeated: homes burned to their foundation and reduced to rubble. A short drive away, nearly an entire trailer park community burned to the ground, the exception a single line of homes in the last row. Fort McMurray Fire Chief Darby Allen said that he knew residents were likely watching media reports to find out the status of their neighborhoods. He briefly choked up while saying he wanted them to know that emergency responders "gave their all." "We did our very best," he said. Even with all of the personal loss, nearly 90 percent of the city is still standing, including the downtown district. Allen said that the fire got as close as the corner of a bank, but firefighters were able to fight back the flames. If that had not been successful, he said, downtown would have been lost.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said Tuesday that the massive oil sands mines north of Fort McMurray have not been damaged. She said most of the oil sands industry has stopped production and will only start back up when it is "absolutely safe" but that should happen soon. She met Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberta, with oil sands industry officials to discuss the impact of the wildfire. After touring Fort McMurray on Monday, Notley said about 2,400 homes and buildings were destroyed in the city, but firefighters managed to save 25,000 others, including the hospital, municipal buildings and every functioning school. Fort McMurray "is a home you are going to return to," she promised residents at a news conference Monday. Those 80,000 residents are scattered throughout the province, some staying at evacuation centers, others with family and friends.

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Most of Canada's oil sands production shut down by wildfire
May 10,`16 -- The majority of Canada's oil sands industry has stopped production and will only start back up when it is "absolutely safe" but that should happen soon, Alberta's premier said Tuesday after meeting with company officials to discuss the impact of the massive wildfire that destroyed more than 10 percent of the homes and buildings in Canada's main oil sands city.

Suncor chief executive Steve Williams, the head of Canada's largest oil company, said about a million barrels a day went offline but said some of that has already started to come back. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the massive oil sands mines north of Fort McMurray have not been damaged. Shell Canada said it had resumed production at its Albian Sands mining operations but at a reduced rate after a seven-day closure.

The wildfire that broke out a week ago has forced as much as a third of Canada's oil output offline and was expected to impact an economy already hurt by the fall in oil prices. Alberta's oil sands have the third-largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Its workers largely live in Fort McMurray, a former frontier outpost-turned-city whose residents come from all over Canada.

Notley said getting pipelines and electricity operational are priorities. She said getting production back online will be a matter of "days and short weeks." "The majority of production has stopped, certainly not all of it, but the majority. If that were to continue for a month or two you would start to see measurable outcomes to our GDP," Notley said. Notley said the halted production affects the livelihood of thousands of Canadians, with both companies and the government losing revenue. She said the main highway into Fort McMurray and to the mines to the north has been reopened for oil workers but they are not allowed to visit the city.

Officials said 85 to 90 percent of Fort McMurray remains intact, including the downtown district. About 2,400 homes and buildings were destroyed, but officials said firefighters saved 25,000 others in the city, including the hospital, municipal buildings and every functioning school. A plan is being put together within two weeks so most of the 88,000 evacuees can return to their homes. The fire continues to grow outside the city in Alberta's vast boreal forest after merging with another one and now is about 884 square miles (2,090 square kilometers) in size. That includes areas already burned and currently burning.

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[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - don't be sendin' old shoes ya fished outta the garbage can...

Unusable donations flood Canada's wildfire efforts
May 12, 2016 -- An outpouring of donated items is becoming a burden to relief workers dealing with the Canadian wildfire because they are unusable.

People are donating things such as used clothes, children's toys and old shoes. They aren't going to victims and instead are taking up space in an Edmonton warehouse. "We have items that are dirty or things that are just not usable at this time," volunteer coordinator Marissa McNabb told CTV Edmonton. "We have to see if it's in a state that we can actually get it donated. If not, then we do have to find a way to get rid of it."

In 2011, a massive fire triggered donated iterms that ended up in a Calgary landfill. "Most donations are really a great thing. But donations that are not needed are not cool because they pile up at ports and airports and parking lots ... and usually the people who move them are relief workers," said Juanita Rilling, director of the U.S. Center for International Disaster Information. The Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society says it specifically needs medication, new pillows and new blankets.

The Canadian Red Cross said monetary donations are the best way to support the relief efforts. As of Wednesday, the organization had collected $52.11 million. The Red Cross, which had registered 80,000 people, plans to give $600 to each adult and $300 to each child that evacuated. Also the federal government will give adults $1,250 each and children under the age of 18 will get $500 on debit cards.

Four distribution centers were set up across Alberta Province, and officials expect long lines. "Be assured that the funding will not run out," Premier Rachel Notley said at a news conference Wednesday. "There are enough debit cards for every eligible evacuee." More than 90,000 people were evacuated on May 3. The Fort McMurray wildfire covered approximately 566,000 acres by Wednesday night and was less than 20 miles from the Saskatchewan border. More oil plants in the area were returning to normal after a one-week shutdown.

Unusable donations flood Canada's wildfire efforts

 

[waltky]

Canada oil workers flee wildfire...

Canada wildfire: Oil workers evacuate camps near Fort McMurray
Tue, 17 May 2016 - Hundreds of oil sands workers are ordered to evacuate camps near the Canadian town of Fort McMurray as a resurgent wildfire advances towards them.

Alberta State Premier Rachel Notley said up to 600 workers were being sent to oil sands installations further north. About 4,000 more workers are on standby to evacuate if necessary. More than 80,000 people fled Fort McMurray two weeks ago when a wildfire swept through the town. The vast fire moved away but in recent days it has started to threaten the area again. On Monday, a wildfire was travelling at 30-40 metres per minute north of Fort McMurray, a statement from the municipality of Wood Buffalo said. All northbound traffic had been stopped at the city, it added.

Fire damage in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada​

Hundreds of workers in the camps closest to the flames have been ordered to move away while thousands more were put on standby. There are 12 oil sands camps in the area. Thick smoke and ash over a wide area are said to be hampering the fire-fighting operation and hot-dry winds have been fanning the flames. Fire crews were also trying to control a blaze south-east of Fort McMurray that is threatening an oil installation.

Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau told CBC News that the cost of the disaster was still being evaluated. "We're obviously going to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people in Fort McMurray and rebuild the city," he said. More than 2,400 buildings have been destroyed in Fort McMurray and thousands of evacuated residents continue to live in temporary shelters. Officials say they hope a plan will be ready within two weeks to return residents to their homes. The wildfire still covers about 2,410 sq km (930 sq miles) and is expected to burn for a few more weeks.

Canada wildfire: Oil workers evacuate camps near Fort McMurray - BBC News