When the radio station went off the air, people used texts and Facebook updates to find out about the evacuation order, closed highways, and other relevant information. Apparently cell service was spotty, but it lasted longer than any other information source. Similar to other events, you could get texts and some data through even if you couldn't make a voice call.

Looks like oil pipelines and production facilities are seeing some effects too. Part of that is damage to infrastructure like the electrical grid, and part of it is pulling operations crews out of uncertain areas and keeping oversize loads off the roads. Something like 100,000 bpd shut down now and perhaps 200,000 soon if the fire situation doesn't settle down. That doesn't include delays in drilling and oilsands construction. It's promising that the number of overall fires has dropped from 100 to 85 and the number of out-of-control fires has dropped from 36 to 21.