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Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

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Re: Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

#121

Post by redthrowaway »

vehementi wrote: post #118
redthrowaway wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We turned down the help because it wouldn't have done any good. The fire was too large for people to put out. Only rain can kill it now. Believe me, we didn't turn down help out of pride. We have a ton of experience dealing with these things. We know when a fire is fightable, and when it isn't.

I love how everyone else is just inventing shit about foreign policy. Folks y'all can talk good about hacking but it doesn't mean your armchair intuition is right about specialized issues in other countries

At any given point in any given summer, a large chunk of the country is on fire. That's the reality of having a massive landmass covered in boreal forest. The consequence of that is that we have a well funded, professional forest fire service that is among the best in the world at what they do.

If accepting American or Russian help would have helped save Canadian homes and businesses, we would have. The South Africans are here for diplomatic reasons more than anything, and they arrived long after the critical period when we were trying to protect property and lives.

This isn't the California wildfires. It's not threatening populated areas anymore. It's burning in a vast expanse of unpopulated subarctic forest. It's fine. The damage is done; now we wait for it to burn out while keeping an eye out for the next one.

Re: Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

#122

Post by MichaelGG »

redthrowaway wrote: post #121
vehementi wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love how everyone else is just inventing shit about foreign policy. Folks y'all can talk good about hacking but it doesn't mean your armchair intuition is right about specialized issues in other countries

At any given point in any given summer, a large chunk of the country is on fire. That's the reality of having a massive landmass covered in boreal forest. The consequence of that is that we have a well funded, professional forest fire service that is among the best in the world at what they do. If accepting American or Russian help would have helped save Canadian homes and businesses, we would have. The South African…

> The South Africans are here for diplomatic reasons more than anything

So it's just a Trudeau-like "diversity" hire or something? Not to say that in a mean way, just that they are not the most qualified and have only received minimal training.

I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't being praised as "South African government sees it as repaying a debt to the Canadian people for their support for the anti-apartheid struggle"[1]. Let's just call it an aid program and be done?

1: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/300-south-afric...

Re: Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

#123

Post by dogma1138 »

tome wrote: post #120
dogma1138 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess Russia is still unpopular on HN. Russia has allot of experience with wildfires it has the largest and densest northern forests in the world combined with a permafrost that holds insane amount of methane and other carbohydrates. Climate change and forest fires are huge national security issue to Russia and if they go out of control it can cause horrible damage to Russia and even then entire planet as it can ca…

> a permafrost that holds insane amount of methane and other carbohydrates. I never had this thought until now, but the things you eat are called carbohydrates whilst the things you burn are called hydrocarbons.

You are correct sir! :D Never drink and post

Re: Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

#126

Post by hanniabu »

redthrowaway wrote: post #121
vehementi wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love how everyone else is just inventing shit about foreign policy. Folks y'all can talk good about hacking but it doesn't mean your armchair intuition is right about specialized issues in other countries

At any given point in any given summer, a large chunk of the country is on fire. That's the reality of having a massive landmass covered in boreal forest. The consequence of that is that we have a well funded, professional forest fire service that is among the best in the world at what they do. If accepting American or Russian help would have helped save Canadian homes and businesses, we would have. The South African…

"This isn't the California wildfires. It's not threatening populated areas anymore. It's burning in a vast expanse of unpopulated subarctic forest. It's fine. The damage is done; now we wait for it to burn out while keeping an eye out for the next one."

I hate this notion that wildlife and nature isn't important. Apparently only human lives and materialistic objects matter....

Re: Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

#127

Post by LionessLover »

hanniabu wrote: post #126
redthrowaway wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At any given point in any given summer, a large chunk of the country is on fire. That's the reality of having a massive landmass covered in boreal forest. The consequence of that is that we have a well funded, professional forest fire service that is among the best in the world at what they do. If accepting American or Russian help would have helped save Canadian homes and businesses, we would have. The South African…

"This isn't the California wildfires. It's not threatening populated areas anymore. It's burning in a vast expanse of unpopulated subarctic forest. It's fine. The damage is done; now we wait for it to burn out while keeping an eye out for the next one." I hate this notion that wildlife and nature isn't important. Apparently only human lives and materialistic objects matter....

Over the decades they learned that fighting wild fires is counter-productive. What's left is fighting only fires that endanger humans and human structures and leave the wild ones alone. It's the product of many decades of experience! Which is missing in your statement (the experience), that tries to make this into some weird metaphysical issue.

Just an example: http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/09/17/scientists-let-wil...

Did you know that the earth has a history of 400 million years without humans fighting wildfires? (No big plants before the Devonian period.)

Re: Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

#128

Post by triplesec »

tn13 wrote: post #81
cmelbye wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think/hope he was being sarcastic.

I am not sure why learned members of HN don't get sarcasm. But anecdotally Trudeau was worried about carbon footprints from a camp fire he once attended, but these wildfires don't bother him.

It's pervasive aspergers. Generally people don't appreciate humour here, which is sad, but for the reason above, that many here find conversational implicature hard, and prefer clear, logical steps.

Re: Canada’s $6.9B Wildfire Is the Size of Delaware and Still Out of Control

#130

Post by mig39 »

redthrowaway wrote: post #50
mig39 wrote: post #2

I returned to Fort McMurray yesterday, after being evacuated a month ago. It was raining. Today the fire is a bit better because of the rain. I'm one of the lucky ones. My house is still standing, and there's no damage.

Is there any smoke damage? I would imagine that would be incredibly expensive to fix. Glad to hear you're doing well.

No smoke damage at all. Last thing I did before leaving was turn off the AC and close all the windows.

Some of my neighbours weren't so lucky -- some have a lot of smoke in the house, so have to replace or clean some furniture and have walls cleaned.

Still, even that's nothing compared to completely losing a house.

I lost power for a total of 20 minutes through the whole thing. My video surveillance system kept running throughout the evacuation, and I could VPN into my house and check on things.

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