Nature didn't create the war zone, tar sands development removing the great majority of the boreal forests created a lack of a buffer against massive wildfires that the forest naturally provided.

Aaaand the poor taste award goes to..

Bo-sox - to bad that you do not know a thing about northern Alberta. This fire and the 30+ other in Alberta and 40+ other in BC currently burning have nothing to do with oil sands. Have a good look at a satellite map of the region. All you see is forests. Most of the oil sand operations are 30- 60 km north of Fort McMurray. The entire region is surround by over-aged forest that had below average snow cover this year as a result of an extra strong El Nino in the pacific ocean. Coupled with an early dry spring with warm temperature the tinder box erupted. If the land was cleared around the town instead of the forest the homes would probably have survived. The amount of land burned in this fire would cover Boston out to I95 in all directions Over 300 sq miles That is a lot of forest.

A guy I know from high school has been a firefighter at Fort McMurray for a few months, situation is pretty bad.

I'm confused. Isn't this something for which the government just provides any means necessary?

Mother nature reminds us occasionally that she has air and land supremacy, and superior firepower. What's a government to do?

Whatever the charities you donate to are to do? Why should any action taken to help these people have to depend on how charitable individuals are? Surely the country is rich enough to do everything that can be done for these people?

Again, I'm just confused.

OIC... well, they have promised emergency cash payments of $1,250 per displaced adult and $500 per dependent and said they'll match Red Cross donations dollar for dollar. It would be nice to think that you can leave disaster relief in the hands of governments, but it's not really the sort of thing that they do at all well. U.S. govt vs Hurricane Katrina vs New Orleans is a case in point - if ever any government had the means to alleviate a predicted tradgedy, that was the one.

I guess I thought the US was the exception as far as disasters in first world countries go. Maybe I'm blind.

Is this a cunning plan to climb the points ranking table by providing an incentive for people to lose points?

Octavious, you only need to donate 10 cents.

Indeed, one has fallen on hard times recently. However just because I happen to be point poor doesn't mean the system is a good one.

This is a fantastic idea. Where do I send my donation?

Lol @ Maniac putting all his points in a locked game so he can make this corny joke

That is truly appalling. Maniac should be ashamed of himself!

That's a cool idea. Thank you wildwolf!

Fire has now burned 161000 plus hectares (620+ sq mi).

Interesting graphic showing the map of the fire over major Canadian cities. Only Halifax is less than 1 million.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/how-the-fort-mcmurray-fire-sizes-up-in-other-canadian-cities/67457

RIP Alberta

:(

RIP Flum