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

Post by as9as87df » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 1:00 PM UTC

tn13 wrote: post #53

MichaelGG wrote: post #52

And yet, Canada turned down help from Russia and the US. Then went around and hired 300 firefighters from South Africa that have no experience with this type of fire or equipment (they said due to lack of water, they use sticks to beat the bush fires). I understand it's more of a social help program ("Working On Fire" job assistance), but still it seems bizarre. Or maybe I've been reading the wrong news sources and t…

I suspect Canada's prime concern was the very high carbon footprint of firefighters from USA and Russia.

Post by Mikeb85 » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 1:56 PM UTC

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....

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 2:17 PM UTC

auxym wrote: post #144

soperj wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

His dad has a horrible legacy out west.

Pierre Trudeau is not not very appreciated by a large proportion of Quebecers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_Meeting

Post by Kluny » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 2:44 PM UTC

MichaelGG wrote: post #122

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…

> 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-aparth…

Post by makoz » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 4:18 PM UTC

MustardTiger wrote: post #136

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…

>If accepting American or Russian help would have helped save Canadian homes and businesses, we would have How do you know this? Because the actual firefighters wanted more planes. The prime minster, who knows nothing about fire fighting is the one who rejected the help. Note that this has been an especially dry, hot season with far more wildfires than usual. And despite this, the provincial government cancelled the…