Situation Critical

   By now, you've probably seen pictures and video of the devastation being wrought by wildfires raging in Fort McMurray, Alberta. As of this posting, those fires now cover an area greater than the city of Chicago. 16 hundred structures have been destroyed, and this morning a massive convoy was taking evacuees from an oil site north of that city south. That must've been heartbreaking for the folks affected by this, having to travel through your city, see the damage and not be able to check your own home.
   Officials, including the military, are escorting 50 vehicles at a time. All intersections along the route have been blocked off, and no one is being allowed to stray away. The convoys were to have extended right through the day.
   Needless to say, the response has been incredible, with firefighters from as far away as Mexico arriving to help, radio stations have been running fundraisers, the Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations, which are being matched dollar for dollar by the federal government for individual donations. Even brewing giant Labbatt has stepped up by producing cans of water for distribution.
   No one knows how long the crisis will last, but the fires will die down eventually, and people will be going back to the city, eventually.
   This disaster will have an impact on more than just the city and surrounding area and the 80 thousand plus people now displaced. There will also be an impact on the oil industry, since Fort Mac is basically "Ground Zero" for oilsands production. So far, none of the companies in the area are reporting damage to their infrastructure, but this likely will have an impact on the oil industry far away from the fire scene.
   What can you do? If you live in Canada and are so inclined, make a cash donation to the Red Cross. And I'm also sure a prayer, if you're so inclined, would also be welcomed.

TTFN