Canada

The Public Health Agency of Canada maintains a National Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) to provide health and social service supplies quickly to provinces and territories when their own resources are not enough during an emergency. A 24-hour response capability is maintained.

The NESS is funded and held by the Agency. The Agency manages the NESS by assessing and refurbishing stockpile units, and distributing medical and pharmaceutical supplies when requested by provinces and territories in emergency situations. NESS supports the response to a variety of emergencies with health impacts, including influenza pandemics, terrorism events, and natural disasters.

The system consists of a central depot in Ottawa, as well as a number of other warehouses and pre-positioned supply centres (under the combined management of the provinces and federal government) strategically located across Canada.

The NESS contains various assets, from beds and blankets to a supply of pharmaceuticals, including a range of antibiotics. As well, it maintains medical units that can be deployed on short notice (within 24 hours) to be set up in existing buildings such as schools and community centres.

Additional capacities include supplies to set up first aid and triage stations. Pre-positioned supply centres have a mix of supplies depending on their location and anticipated emergencies that might occur.

While some supplies are stored across the country, many drugs are held for the Agency by the pharmaceutical manufacturers in order to ensure that they are rotated, thus ensuring we have up-to-date drugs when required.

The National Emergency Strategic Stockpile has been used to support a number of emergencies, both in Canada and internationally. For example, PHAC provided blankets, generators and other supplies to various provinces who experienced floods and forest fires in 2011. As well, a significant quantity of pharmaceuticals, supplies and equipment were provided as part of Government of Canada’s response to the south east Asia tsunami crisis.

CNN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD5FHqtFO1Y

NASA:   “….Winds gusted over 20 miles (32 kilometers) per hour, fanning the flames in an area where rainfall totals have been well below normal in 2016. Ground-based measurements showed that the temperature soared to 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) on May 3 as the fire spread.

Satellite observations also detected the unusual heat. The map above shows land surface temperature from April 26 to May 3, 2016, compared to the 2000–2010 average for the same one-week period. Red areas were hotter than the long-term average; blue areas were below average. White pixels had normal temperatures, and gray pixels did not have enough data, most likely due to cloud cover…..”

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

Fort McMurray Wildfire Updates

Recent Critical Updates

May 5, 9:20 p.m. Official update:

• Anzac/Gregoire Lake Estates remains an active zone. Further details won’t be available until the morning.
• The Stone Creek Area remains an active fire zone.
• The Birchwood Trails remains a priority from a strategic firefighting standpoint. Crews are working hard to protect this area.
• Gusting winds have been extremely challenging for fire crews.
• Properties near green areas remain an issue due to sparks and high winds creating spot fires among housing.
• A plan is being developed for northern evacuees
• Wildfire Emergency Resources

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

The RMWB is sharing information on the wildfire, the status of evacuations and the status of neighbourhoods as quickly as possible. Follow our social media resources for up-to-date information:

RMWB on Twitter
RMWB on Facebook

RCMP

If you are in Wood Buffalo and need immediate assistance, call 911.
Safety concerns only: 780-788-4000

Wildfire Information Line

310-4455
Open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Alberta Government Emergency Information

http://www.alberta.ca/emergency.cfm

Red Cross

Redcross.ca
Registration: 1-888-350-6070
Twitter: @RedCrossAB

Insurance inquiries

Contact your insurance provider, or call the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s consumer information line: 1-844-227-5422 or FortMacFire@ibc.ca

SPCA

Animal Assistance Form
Fort McMurray SPCA Facebook Page

Emergency Income Support

24 hours
1-866-644-5135
780-644-5135 Edmonton
Government of Canada EI Claims notice for affected workers

Calgary Evacuee Reception Centre

With Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo evacuees arriving in Calgary, a reception centre has been established at:

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology [Map]
Residence Tower
151 Doctor Carpenter Circle NW
Calgary

Edmonton Hotels Offering “Compassionate Rates”

As of Thursday afternoon. (Rates vary by hotel and are available on an “asked-for” basis.)

Calgary Hotels Reporting Available Accommodations

The City of Calgary, in conjunction with the Calgary Hotel Association, has compiled a list of hotels that indicated availability as of 5 p.m. on Thursday.

NBC News

**  “….More than 1,110 firefighters, 145 helicopters and 22 air tankers are fighting the fires…..”

Acquired May 3

Acquired May 4

References

• Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (2016, May 4) Fort McMurray Area Update. Accessed May 4, 2016.
• Alberta Government (2016, May 4) Emergency updates. Accessed May 4, 2016.
• Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (2016, May 4) Fort McMurray Wildfire Updates. Accessed May 4, 2016.
• The Washington Post (2016, May 4) A Canadian oil-sands town is on fire; 80,000 residents must evacuate. Accessed May 4, 2016.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Caption by Kathryn Hansen.

Instrument(s):

Landsat 8 – OLI

ABC News-Australia

Reuters

**  No known casualties from the blaze itself

**  Fatalities were reported in at least one car crash among the evacuees.

**  Thousands bunked down in arenas, hockey rinks and oil work camps, often short of fuel and food.

Reuters

History

NBC