2016 Fort McMurray wildfire: Difference between revisions

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95.138.207.92

Impacts

Satellite images of the fire at day (May 3, 2016) overnight (May 5, 2016), and the area the smoke is affecting (fire in yellow circle)

Communities and infrastructure

Initial estimates from May 4 indicated that 1,600 structures in Fort McMurray were destroyed. Firefighters worked through May 6 and 7 to hold the line and protect the downtown and remaining homes in Fort McMurray. Damages occurred to the town's power grid.^[1] On May 9 Premier Notley stated that 2,400 structures were estimated to be lost, but about 85 to 90 percent of the city was undamaged.^[2].

As of 11:55 a.m. MDT on May 6^[update], the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo had reported the following damage to Fort McMurray's neighbourhoods and nearby communities:^[3]

Anzac – 12 structures lost in the hamlet approximately 36 km (22 mi) to the southeast
Airport – minor damage to outer structures, primary infrastructures intact
Abasand – 50 percent loss of homes
Beacon Hill – 70 percent loss of homes
Dickinsfield – Two houses lost
Downtown – One house lost
Draper – Damage under assessment in this community adjacent to Fort McMurray
Grayling Terrace – Four houses lost and six damaged
Gregoire – Unaffected
North Parsons – Unfinished school lost
Saline Creek – Unaffected
Saprae Creek – approximately 30 percent of this hamlet, 11 km (6.8 mi) to the east, has experienced significant damage
Stone Creek – active fire zone
Timberlea – 13 trailers lost
- Blackburn Drive – Three structure fires
- Walnut Crescent – approximately 15 structure fires
Thickwood – One house lost
Waterways – 90 percent loss of homes
Wood Buffalo – Estimated 30 houses lost

Oil sands operations

The wildfire has also halted oil sands production at facilities north of Fort McMurray, to which many residents have evacuated. Shell Canada has shut down output at its Albian Sands mining operation, located about 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. The company stated its priority was to get employees and their families out of the region, and provide capacity at its work camp for some of the evacuees. Shell also provided its landing strip to fly employees and their families to Calgary or Edmonton and has provided two teams to support firefighting efforts in the area.^[4]

Suncor Energy and Syncrude Canada have also scaled back operations. Suncor's Millennium and North Steepbank mines are two of the largest and oldest oilsands mining operations in the Fort McMurray area, and Syncrude's Mildred Lake oilsands mine is located 35 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. The companies have accommodated another 2,000 evacuees each at their work camps.^[4] On May 7, Syncrude shut down all site and processing operations, removing 4,800 employees from the area. A quarter of Canada's oil production, equal to an estimated one million barrels of oil a day, was halted as a result of the fire.^[5]

Financial

Initial insurance payouts are estimated to total as much as CAN$9 billion if the entire community has to be rebuilt. This would make it the most expensive disaster in Canadian history, surpassing the 1998 ice storms in Quebec ($1.9 billion) and the 2013 Alberta floods ($1.8 billion). The 2011 Slave Lake wildfire, which destroyed one-third of the Town of Slave Lake, cost approximately $750 million and was the most expensive fire-related disaster in Canadian history. The larger damage estimates are a result of Fort McMurray being 10 times the size of Slave Lake.^[6] A further estimate based on current damage pegs the insurance payouts at $2.6–4.7 billion.^[7]

Cause and contributing factors

Officials have currently not determined the cause of the fire, but have stated its starting point was a remote area 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Fort McMurray.^[8]

During the start of the fire, an unusually hot, dry air mass was in place over Northern Alberta, which brought record-setting temperatures to Fort McMurray. On May 3, the temperature climbed to 32.8 °C (91 °F),^[9] accompanied by relative humidity as low as 12%.^[10] The situation intensified on May 4 when temperatures reached 31.9 °C (89 °F)^[9] and winds gusted to 72 km/h (45 mph).^[11] This significantly contributed to the fire's rapid growth.^[12] The winter preceding the fires was drier than usual, leaving a paltry snowpack, which melted quickly. Combined with the high temperatures, this created a "perfect storm" of conditions for an explosive wildfire.^[13]^[14]

Controversy arose over the discussion that global warming is among the factors causing the fire, particularly given the role that Fort McMurray plays in Alberta's oil sands industry. Some have called it "insensitive" to discuss climate change in such a time, while others have argued that this crisis makes it "more important" to talk about the link between global warming and increased wildfires.^[15] Canada's politicians and scientists have both cautioned that individual fires cannot specifically be linked to climate change, but agree that it is part of a general trend of more intense wildfires.^[16]

References

^ "Growing Fort McMurray wildfire could double in size and reach Saskatchewan border". National Post. May 7, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
^ McConnell, Rick (May 9, 2016). "Fort McMurray is 'still alive,' fire chief says — but safety concerns linger". CBC News. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
^ Cite error: The named reference Wood Buffalo Update was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Wildfire forces heart of Canada's oilsands to scale back production". Montreal Gazette. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
^ Cite error: The named reference SyncrudeShutdown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Insurance estimates was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Insurance losses from Fort McMurray fire could top $9 billion, analyst says". Edmonton Journal. May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ Cite error: The named reference North fly out was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Daily Data Report for May 2016". Environment Canada. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
^ "Hourly Data Report for May 03, 2016". Environment Canada. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
^ "Daily Data Report for May 2016". Environment Canada. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
^ Cite error: The named reference largestAB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ McGrath, Matt (May 5, 2016). "'Perfect storm' of El Niño and warming boosted Alberta fires". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
^ Kahn, Brian (May 4, 2016). "Here's the Climate Context For the Fort McMurray Wildfire". Climate Central. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
^ Holthaus, Eric (May 6, 2016). "We Need to Talk About Climate Change". Slate. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
^ Tasker, John (May 4, 2016). "'Of course' Fort McMurray fire linked to climate change, Elizabeth May says". CBC News. Retrieved May 7, 2016.

External links

56°42′N 111°23′W / 56.700°N 111.383°W / 56.700; -111.383

[Sask_Border-1] "Growing Fort McMurray wildfire could double in size and reach Saskatchewan border". National Post. May 7, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2016.

[<CBCstillalive"-2] McConnell, Rick (May 9, 2016). "Fort McMurray is 'still alive,' fire chief says — but safety concerns linger". CBC News. Retrieved May 10, 2016.

[Wood_Buffalo_Update-3] Cite error: The named reference Wood Buffalo Update was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Oilsands_scaledown-4] "Wildfire forces heart of Canada's oilsands to scale back production". Montreal Gazette. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.

[SyncrudeShutdown-5] Cite error: The named reference SyncrudeShutdown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Insurance_estimates-6] Cite error: The named reference Insurance estimates was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] "Insurance losses from Fort McMurray fire could top $9 billion, analyst says". Edmonton Journal. May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[North_fly_out-8] Cite error: The named reference North fly out was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Fort_McMurray_CS-9] "Daily Data Report for May 2016". Environment Canada. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.

[3_May_2016-10] "Hourly Data Report for May 03, 2016". Environment Canada. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.

[Fort_McMurray_A-11] "Daily Data Report for May 2016". Environment Canada. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.

[largestAB-12] Cite error: The named reference largestAB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[13] McGrath, Matt (May 5, 2016). "'Perfect storm' of El Niño and warming boosted Alberta fires". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved May 7, 2016.

[ClimateCentral-14] Kahn, Brian (May 4, 2016). "Here's the Climate Context For the Fort McMurray Wildfire". Climate Central. Retrieved May 7, 2016.

[15] Holthaus, Eric (May 6, 2016). "We Need to Talk About Climate Change". Slate. Retrieved May 7, 2016.

[16] Tasker, John (May 4, 2016). "'Of course' Fort McMurray fire linked to climate change, Elizabeth May says". CBC News. Retrieved May 7, 2016.

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-==Progression of fire==
-[[File:2016 Fort McMurray wildfire (1).jpg|thumb|left|The wildfire burning near Fort McMurray on May 1, 2016]]
-A local state of emergency was initially declared May&nbsp;1 at 9:57&nbsp;p.m. (03:57 UTC May&nbsp;2) with the Centennial Trailer Park and the neighbourhoods of Prairie Creek and Gregoire under a mandatory evacuation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-braces-for-high-winds-in-battle-with-wildfire-1.3562108 |title=Fort McMurray braces for high winds in battle with wildfire |last=Snowdon |first=William |date=May 2, 2016 |work=CBC News Edmonton |accessdate=May 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/fires-threatening-fort-mcmurray |title=Wildfire continues to threaten Fort McMurray neighbourhood |last1=McDermot |first1=Vincent |last2=French |first2=Janet |date=May 2, 2016 |work=Edmonton Journal |accessdate=May 3, 2016}}</ref> The evacuation orders for the two neighbourhoods were reduced to a voluntary stay-in-place order by the night of May&nbsp;2 as the fire moved southwest and away from the area.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/2016/05/02/crews-resume-battling-wildfires-near-fort-mcmurray-no-change-since-last-night |title='A great day for us': Wildfire moves away from Fort McMurray as crews fight blaze |last1=McDermot |first1=Vincent |last2=Bird |first2=Cullen |date=May 2, 2016 |newspaper=Fort McMurray Today |accessdate=May 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2673945/residents-on-alert-as-three-wildfires-burn-near-fort-mcmurray/ |title=‘We are in for a rough day’: Fort McMurray wildfire expected to flare up Tuesday afternoon |last1=Ivanov |first1=Jennifer |last2=Bartko |first2=Karen |last3=Heidenreich |first3=Phil |date=May 3, 2016 |work=Global News |accessdate=May 4, 2016}}</ref> However, the mandatory evacuation order was reinstated and expanded to 12 neighbourhoods on May&nbsp;3 at 5:00&nbsp;p.m. (23:00&nbsp;UTC),<ref name="FMCCBC">{{cite news|title=Wildfire destroys Fort McMurray homes, most of city evacuated|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-fire-social-media-reflects-fear-worry-as-the-flames-enter-city-1.3564982|accessdate=May 3, 2016|work=CBC News Edmonton|date=May 3, 2016}}</ref> and to the entirety of Fort McMurray by 6:49&nbsp;p.m. (00:49 UTC May&nbsp;4).<ref name="largestAB" /><ref name="alberta">{{cite web|url=http://wildfire.alberta.ca/wildfire-status/wildfire-status-map.aspx|title=Wildfire Status Map &#124; ESRD – Wildfire|publisher=wildfire.alberta.ca|accessdate=May 6, 2016}}</ref> A further order covering the nearby communities of [[Anzac, Alberta|Anzac]], [[Gregoire Lake Estates]], and [[Fort McMurray First Nation]] was issued at 9:50&nbsp;p.m. on May 4 (03:50 UTC May 5).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rmwb.ca/News-Room/Media-Releases/Municipality-Announces-Mandatory-Evacuations-for-Anzac--Gregoire-Lake-Estates-and-Fort-McMurray-First-Nation_s2_p5451.htm | title=Municipality Announces Mandatory Evacuations for Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation | publisher=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo | date=May 4, 2016 | accessdate=May 5, 2016}}</ref> It has been reported that 88,000 people were successfully evacuated, with no reported fatalities or injuries;<ref name="No hurt tweet">{{cite news |title=Tweet from Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo |url=https://twitter.com/RMWoodBuffalo/status/727897683940257792 |accessdate=May 4, 2016 |agency=[[Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo]] |publisher=[[Twitter]] |date=May 4, 2016 |quote=We have successfully evacuated 88,000 people with no reports of injuries or casualties so far #ymmfire }}</ref> however, two people were killed in a vehicular collision during the evacuation.<ref name="Traffic deaths"/>
-On May 4, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo reported the communities of [[Beacon Hill, Fort McMurray|Beacon Hill]], [[Abasand]] and [[Waterways, Alberta|Waterways]] had suffered "serious loss".<ref name="Wood Buffalo Update">{{cite web | url=http://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=41701E7ECBE35-AD48-5793-1642C499FF0DE4CF | title=Fort McMurray Wildfire Updates | publisher=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo | date=May 7, 2016 | accessdate=May 7, 2016}}</ref> The Government of Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency, and stated that 1,600 buildings had been destroyed by the fires.<ref name="GlobalMay4AMupdate">{{cite news |last=Barkto |first=Karen |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2679178/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-how-many-homes-have-been-lost-in-the-fire/ |title=Fort McMurray wildfire update: Roughly 1600 buildings destroyed in 'catastrophic' fire |publisher=Global News |date=May 4, 2016 |accessdate=May 4, 2016}}</ref> It was also estimated that {{convert|10,000|ha|acre}} of land had been burned.<ref name="North fly out">{{cite news |last=Edwards|first=Peter |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/05/05/more-communities-evacuated-as-fort-mcmurray-fire-moves-south.html |title=ire evacuees north of Fort McMurray to be airlifted out as 1,100 firefighters battle inferno |publisher=Toronto Star |date=May 5, 2016 |accessdate=May 5, 2016}}</ref> Evacuees who travelled north of Fort McMurray were also advised to stay where they were, and not to come south on [[Alberta Highway 63|Highway 63]] as the fire was still burning out of control.<ref name="Wood Buffalo Update" /> A [[boil-water advisory]] was issued for the entire area just after 11&nbsp;a.m. (17:00 UTC).<ref name="GlobalMay4AMupdate" /> At 4:05&nbsp;p.m. (22:05 UTC) the fire crossed Highway 63 at Highway 69, south of the city, and threatened the [[Fort McMurray International Airport|international airport]], which had suspended commercial operations earlier in the day.<ref name="Wood Buffalo Update" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/catastrophic-fort-mcmurray-wildfire-prompts-state-of-emergency-1.3566310 |title='Catastrophic' Fort McMurray wildfire prompts state of emergency |last=McConnell |first=Rick |date=May 4, 2016 |publisher= CBC News |accessdate=May 4, 2016 |quote=}}</ref>  The fire also forced the re-location of the Regional Emergency Operations Centre, which was originally in the vicinity of the airport.<ref name="spread south May 5">{{cite web |title=Fort McMurray evacuees flee again as fire spreads: 'It's almost like it's following us' |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/fort-mcmurray-evacuees-flee-again-as-fire-spreads-its-almost-like-its-following-us |accessdate=May 5, 2016 |work=National Post |date=May 5, 2016}}</ref> On May 4, the fire was found to be producing lightning and [[pyrocumulus cloud]]s due to its heat and large size, which added to the risk of more fires.<ref name=Pyrocumulus>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/06/weather/pyrocumulus-weather/|title= How wildfires create towering pyrocumulus clouds|agency=CNN|publisher=Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc|accessdate=May 8, 2016|date=May 6, 2016|author=Jones Judson|author2=Miller Branson}}</ref> The fires have become so large that the [[conflagration]] has begun creating its own weather, in the form of wind influxes and lightning, causing it to be labelled as a [[firestorm]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/canada-fire-fort-mcmurray-resident-calls-alberta-firestorm-armageddon-1558885|title=Canada fire: Fort McMurray resident calls the Alberta firestorm 'Armageddon'|author=Zairah Khurshid|work=International Business Times UK|accessdate=May 8, 2016}}</ref>
-[[File:WILDFIRE SPREADS IN FORT MCMURRAY.jpg|thumb|right|Satellite imagery of the burn scar left by the wildfire on May 4, 2016]]
-The fire continued to spread south on May 5 across {{convert|85000|ha|acre}} and forcing additional evacuations in the communities of [[Anzac, Alberta|Anzac]], [[Gregoire Lake Estates]] and the [[Fort McMurray First Nation]]. These communities had accepted over 8,000 people during the initial evacuations.<ref name="North fly out" /><ref name="spread south May 5" /><ref name="AB update May 5">{{cite web |url=http://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=41701E7ECBE35-AD48-5793-1642C499FF0DE4CF |title=Update 2: Fort McMurray Wildfire (May 5 at 10&nbsp;a.m.) |date=May 5, 2016 |publisher=Government of Alberta |accessdate=May 5, 2016}}</ref> The Government of Alberta announced a plan to airlift approximately 8,000 of 25,000 people who had evacuated to oil sands work camps north of Fort McMurray, with assistance from a [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|Hercules]] aircraft, and other planes owned by energy companies operating in the oil sands. Government officials would also examine the potential for evacuations via Highway 63 during a flyover.<ref name="North fly out" /> 1,100 personnel, 45 [[helicopter]]s, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 [[air tanker]]s were being employed to fight the fire.<ref name="AB update May 5"/>
-On May 6, the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] began leading convoys to move 1,500 vehicles from oil sand work camps north of Fort McMurray, south along Highway 63 to [[Edmonton]].<ref name="Convoys May 6">{{cite web |title=‘The beast is still up’: Wildfire evacuees stuck north of Fort McMurray moving south in massive RCMP convoy |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-beast-is-still-up-wildfire-evacuees-stuck-north-of-fort-mcmurray-moving-south-in-massive-rcmp-convoy |accessdate=May 6, 2016 |work=National Post |date=May 6, 2016}}</ref> The fire continued to grow out of control, spreading to {{convert|100000|ha|acre}} by May 6,<ref name="Growth to 100000">{{cite web |title=Fort McMurray wildfire continues to grow out of control |url=http://www.news1130.com/2016/05/06/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-continues-to-grow-out-of-control/ |accessdate=May 6, 2016 |work=News 1130 |date=May 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Convoys May 6" /> and {{convert|156000|ha|acre}} by May 7.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McConnell|first1=Rick|title=Fort McMurray wildfire could reach Suncor oilsands site today|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-saturday-1.3571678|website=CBC News|date=May 7, 2016|accessdate=May 7, 2016}}</ref> As the fire grew to the northeast, the community of [[Fort McKay]], which hosted 5,000 evacuees from Fort McMurray, was itself put under an evacuation notice. The fire was anticipated to double in size, and reach the [[Saskatchewan]] border to the east.<ref name="Voluntary Evacuation">{{cite news|last1=Bird|first1=Cullen|title=Fort McKay under voluntary evacuation order as wildfire size expected to double |url=http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/2016/05/07/fort-mckay-under-voluntary-evacuation-order-as-wildfire-size-expected-to-double|accessdate=May 7, 2016|agency=Fort McMurray Today|publisher=Postmedia Network|date=May 7, 2016}}</ref><ref name="FortMacKayevc">{{cite news|title=Fort McKay First Nation welcomed 5,000 people at wildfire evacuation's peak|url=http://aptn.ca/news/2016/05/06/fort-mckay-first-nation-welcomed-5000-people-at-wildfire-evacuations-peak/|accessdate=May 7, 2016|date=May 7, 2016|agency=Aboriginal Peoples Television Network|publisher=Aboriginal Peoples Television Network}}</ref> The wildfire is expected to take months to contain and extinguish.<ref name="extinguishmonths">{{cite news|title=Blaze will take months to extinguish, Alberta fire official says|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/blaze-will-take-months-to-extinguish-alberta-fire-official-says/article29933091/|accessdate=May 8, 2016|agency=The Globe and Mail|publisher=The Globe and Mail Inc.|date=May 7, 2016|quote='It's going to take quite a while for the wildfire fighters to actually get that under control, contain it, put it out,' Scott Long, executive provincial operations director for the Alberta Emergency Management Agency}}</ref>
-=== Response and aid ===
-[[File:Premier talks Fort McMurray at Western Premiers' Conference kick-off.webm|thumb|200px|[[British Columbia|B.C.]] government reply]]
-The Government of Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency for Fort McMurray and issued a formal request for assistance from the [[Canadian Armed Forces]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/fort-mcmurray-fire-state-of-emergency-declared-1.2887111 |title=Fort McMurray fire: State of emergency declared |last=Dehaas |first=Josh |date=May 4, 2016 |publisher=CTV News |accessdate=May 4, 2016 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Military air assets preparing to head to Fort McMurray: source |url=http://ipolitics.ca/2016/05/04/military-air-assets-preparing-to-head-to-fort-mcmurray-source/ |accessdate=May 4, 2016|work=iPolitics |date=May 5, 2016}}</ref> The government and the [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]] signed a [[memorandum]] of understanding on May 4, detailing required assistance and use of helicopters for rescue operations.<ref name="largestAB" /> Shortly after, a [[CC-130 Hercules]] departed [[CFB Trenton]] and helicopters were dispatched to the affected area.<ref name="CBCTrudeauResponse">{{cite news|last1=Mas|first1=Susana|title=Trudeau says Canadians are united around Fort McMurray as federal response gets underway|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-government-responds-fort-mcmurray-wildfires-1.3565723|accessdate=May 4, 2016|agency=[[CBC News]]|date=May 4, 2016}}</ref> Alberta also requested assistance from the [[Government of Ontario]], and Ontario committed to sending 100 firefighters and 19 supervisory staff, coordinated through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.<ref name="largestAB" /> Other provinces across the country have also offered support.<ref name="CBCTrudeauResponse" /> On May&nbsp;5, four [[CL-415]] [[water bombers]] from [[Quebec]]'s SOPFEU ([[:fr:Société de protection des forêts contre le feu|fr]]) took off from the province to aid in the firefighting effort.<ref>{{cite news|title=Four water bombers heading to Alberta|url=http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/quebec/2016/05/05/001-avions-cl-415-renfort-alberta-feux-foret.shtml|accessdate=May 5, 2016|agency=[[Radio-Canada]]|language=French|date=May 5, 2016}}</ref>
-On May&nbsp;4, the Alberta government committed to match donations made to the [[Canadian Red Cross]], as well as to donate an additional $2&nbsp;million as seed money.<ref name="MatchRedCross">{{cite web|title=Alberta Government matching Red Cross donations for Fort McMurray|url=http://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=41703E9EE402E-957B-30FA-5FC5EBFF81EA78B9|website=Alberta.ca|publisher=Alberta Government|accessdate=May 5, 2016}}</ref> The federal government also pledged to match all donations to the Canadian Red Cross on May 5.<ref name="North fly out" /> Also on May 4 [[Public Safety Canada]], given the scale of the disaster, activated the [[International Charter Space and Major Disasters]], thus providing for the charitable and humanitarian re-tasking of the diverse [[satellite]] assets of fifteen [[space agency|space agencies]], etc.<ref name="International Charter on Space and Major Disasters">{{cite web | url=https://www.disasterscharter.org/web/guest/-/fire-in-canada?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disasterscharter.org%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_F1SeOJT57fTb%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_pos%3D2%26p_p_col_count%3D4 | title=Latest Activation: Fire in Canada | publisher=International Charter Space and Major Disasters | date=May 4, 2016 | accessdate=May 6, 2016}}</ref>
-[[Statistics Canada]] officially announced suspension of enumeration activities for the [[Canada 2016 Census|2016 Census]] in the Fort McMurray area on May&nbsp;5. Alternative means to collect data from its residents will be determined at a later date.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.census.gc.ca/ccr16_r004-eng.html#a01 | title=Statistics Canada suspends Census collection in Fort McMurray area | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=May 5, 2016 | accessdate=May 6, 2016}}</ref> The provincial government is providing an initial $1,250 per adult and $500 per dependent to cover living expenses for those who have evacuated.<ref>{{cite web|title=Here's our list of resources for Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees and how you can help|url=http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/how-yiou-can-help-the-evacuees-from-the-fort-mcmurray-wildfires|website=Edmonton Journal|accessdate=May 7, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507221623/http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/how-yiou-can-help-the-evacuees-from-the-fort-mcmurray-wildfires|archivedate=May 7, 2016|language=en-US|date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>
-The [[United States]], [[Mexico]], [[Australia]], [[Taiwan]], [[Russia]], and [[Israel]] have offered international assistance in battling the fire, though the offers were turned down by Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]], who said they were unnecessary.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russian offer to send water bombers to fight Fort McMurray fire in limbo|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/russia-water-bombers-alberta-wildfires-1.3572825|website=CBC|accessdate=May 8, 2016|language=en-US|date=May 8, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/justin-trudeau-turns-down-russian-u-s-mexican-offers-to-help-fight-fort-mac-wildfire|title=Justin Trudeau turns down Russian, U.S., Mexican offers to help fight Fort Mac wildfire|work=National Post|date=May 9, 2016|accessdate=May 9, 2016}}</ref>
 == Impacts ==