The Pony Chronicles: Slave Lake

Wild fires are an annual problem in Alberta, but this is the first time, that I can remember, where one has actually reached a residential area and destroyed (so far) 40% of the town.
All 7000 residents were evacuated and are staying in shelters while they wait to return and see the damage done to their homes and neighbourhoods.

I don't know if you've heard anything about these fires on your news or not, but we have approximately 120 wild fires and something like 26 are out of control. Although they seem to have the one in Slave Lake are under control, there is a large one heading farther north. Guess whats up north in Alberta?
The rigs, the tar sands (don't start with environmental stuff, I am already aware). If that catches fire, it could burn for years. They've evacuated the rig and shut down production (according to my news source) and are sending fire fighters and water bombers to try and control that one.

Firefighters have been flown in from BC and Ontario and Calgary and Edmonton are sending up equipment and men to help fight. Unfortunately last week was insanely windy, keeping all the helicopters and water bombers grounded and feeding the fires.

Most of the smoke is going north and Yellowknife has gotten a lot of it. Last year the smoke from the BC fires was blown through my town, it was horrible, since there's no where to get away from it and the skies turned grey.

How terrifying is that? Can you imagine being told you have to get out of your house because your town is on fire? Everything you have is gone, buildings like the school have burned to the ground, some families have nothing left. They had to drop everything and run.
'The town is gone'

"The town is gone," one woman told CBC News. "There's nothing left. There's places where there should have been houses, and they're gone. We lost everything."

Slave Lake is in the red circle, and it's about 250km from my town.