This type of evacuation is beyond the limits of a BOB. This is where you pack for in case there's no home to which you can return. For wildfires here I start packing the truck with the knowledge that if I need to evacuate it's because there's a real possibility that the house will not be standing when I return. You start packing early knowing that anything you leave may be gone forever. Beautiful homes will turn to glowing embers -- sad.

I have loaded up our vehicles twice, realizing that the approaching wildfire could torch our house. It and contents are covered by insurance. Our priorities were people, pets, personal papers. Most of the rest is just stuff. A situation like this is a good reason to keep some minimal survival gear in the car (and keep some gas in the tank).

Lots of fuel out there and wildfire season is just around the corner...

In the aftermath of the fires, there are hundreds of people stranded on the highway south of Fort Mac. A tip of the hat to my Albertan neighbors who are coming to the rescue in the way of providing food, water, blankets and fuel for those stranded. Very impressive effort by citizens and businesses alike.

It’s what we do. Spontaneous Alberta rescue convoys head north to rescue stranded Fort McMurrayites

from Teslinhiker's link:
Two minutes ... I could do that if I'd been paying attention and my situational awareness (SA) was functioning. If a fire is that close you can smell it. My truck would have been packed...

For a two minute evac by car from my house, I would expect the children to grab go-bags, shoes and outerwear, and nothing else. My wife and I would grab a handgun and spare magazines, load the bug-out/bug-in bins (that supplement the core kit in each car) into one of the cars, grab the gas cans and go.

We don't drill this nearly enough.

Everyone should read this. It's epic. While I've seen my friends and neighbors pull together in disaster situations, I've never seen anything like this. My hat is off to the rescuers who gave so much to strangers.

Very heartening and inspiring, indeed....

The wildfire has now grown to some 328 square miles. Some areas to the north that were previously safe for evacuees are now under evacuation orders as well, with winds gusting to 70 kph driving the fire. Here's the view from one of those areas:


When the highway south was overrun by the fire, some 25,000 people headed north. Some are staying at work camps at the major oilsands sites, which have opened their doors to the evacuees. When the highway south can be safely reopened, most people will be headed for Edmonton, and we should be able to accommodate them.

Edmonton school boards have instructed schools to take in children of evacuees without requiring the usual proof of residency; no doubt establishing some aspects of normal life as quickly as possible is very good policy.

Some of the northern oilsands sites have airstrips that can accommodate commercial 737's, and are being used for critical evacuations (such as the evac of the hospital Tuesday) as the Fort Mac airport is shut down.

If I understand correctly, this is the largest evacuation in Canadian history.

Some very compelling videos from a persons vehicle onboard cameras while evacuating Fort Mac.