I'd just like to say here how impressed I have been with the show of support for the victims and those fighting the ongoing forest fires in the Fort McMurray area. The devastation has been incredible, but thankfully - due to the efforts of an incredible response team - it has been mostly controlled away from populated areas and the massive evacuation efforts have saved lives. Since it began early last week, The
Canadian Red Cross has now registered donations from Canadians totaling $67million, which will be matched by funds from the federal government. This money is already being dispersed to those affected, starting today. This is on top of all of the generous help with food, housing, and transportation resident of Alberta have already offered. I can't say for certain that this is unprecedented, but it sure seems like an incredible feat to me. I just feel it is worth noting the good in humanity when people can still feel empathy and come together for one another like this.
A couple satellite images showing some of the damage cause to the surrounding area:
Before and after (false colour, showing vegetation loss)False-colour shortwave infrared showing heat damageSmoke from the fires carried over to the Dakotas/Minnesota, and even reaching the east coast of the USThus far it is estimated the fire has burned an area of 229,000 hectares, and has displaced 88,000 people, destroying more than 2400 homes.