Case Study - Alberta Wildfires

Question 1

when did the Alberta Wildfire occur?

Answer 1

May 2016

Question 2

Where is Alberta?

Answer 2

Alberta is a province in Western Canada

Question 3

what was the death toll?

Answer 3

not a single person died as a result of the wildfire

Question 4

what caused the wildfire?

Answer 4

Conditions were extremely favorable to fire;

• A lack of winter snowfall, an early snowmelt in Spring combined with above average spring temperatures DRIED OUT THE GROUND.

Furthermore,
in Late April;

• temperatures soared, very low humidity
• El Nino effect may have caused unusually warm and dry spring conditions.

Question 5

what caused the wildfire?

Answer 5

Conditions were extremely favorable to fire;

• A lack of winter snowfall, an early snowmelt in Spring combined with above average spring temperatures DRIED OUT THE GROUND.

Furthermore,
in Late April;

• temperatures soared, very low humidity
• El Nino effect may have caused unusually warm and dry spring conditions.

Question 6

what was the nearest settlement?

Answer 6

Fort Mcmurray

Question 7

How did the wind inhibit efforts to control the blaze?

Answer 7

a shift in wind direction pushed the fire towards Fort Mcmurray.

Question 8

explain the positive feedback which took place?

Answer 8

the intensity of the fire created its own weather patterns

• this included lightning
• this lightning led to additional fires breaking out.

Question 9

what were the social impacts?

Answer 9

2400 homes and businesses destroyed

• no deaths
• movement in area was restricted and people couldn’t work as normal.
• water supplies became contaminated because untreated water was deliberately introduced into the municipal water supply to aid firefighters.

Question 10

what were the economic impacts?

Answer 10

approx $9 billion of damaged to Fort McMurray - Canada’s costliest natural disaster.

• The mining and oil industry in the area was temporarily shut down and infrastructure was damaged.
• air travel at the nearest international airport was disrupted.

Question 11

what were the political impacts?

Answer 11

the fire has prompted political debate on the possible impacts on climate change in terms of lengthening the wildfire season by through earlier spring melting. Has helped shaped Canada’s approach to climate change.

Question 12

what were the environmental impacts?

Answer 12

the fire burned land equivalent to the size of Norfolk.

• the fire released several millions of tonnes of co2 into the atmosphere
• scorched soil and burnt tree roots severely affected the ecosystem.
• ash was washed into water courses, leading to water pollution and possible contamination of aquatic life.

Question 13

what was the local response?

Answer 13

90,000 people were evacuated from Fort McMurray.

• Firefighters were able to save 85% of the city

Question 14

National Response

Answer 14

The Alberta government has put in place extensive training regimes and evacuation plans.

• The Alberta Government declared a state of emergency and requested help from Canadian Armed Forces.
• The Canadian government provided welfare payments to those affected and made efforts to find temporary accommodation.

Question 15

what was the international response?

Answer 15

Neighboring countries and those with wildfire experience offered aid;

Usa
Russia
Australia

Question 16

what was the mitigation going forward?

Answer 16

• Wildfire mitigation strategy looks at most vulnerable areas and assesses land use in those areas.