A resident buckles in her daughter as they prepare to leave Conklin, Alberta, for Lac La Biche after evacuating their home in Fort McMurray.
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
Conklin, Alberta
A resident buckles in her daughter as they prepare to leave Conklin, Alberta, for Lac La Biche after evacuating their home in Fort McMurray.
Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada
An uncontrolled wildfire burning near Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, which is the heart of Canada's oil sands region, forced the evacuation of nearly 80,000 residents on May 3, 2016. The wildfire started on May 1 and reached Fort McMurray on May 3 due to strong winds and in spite of efforts from firefighters to curb the blaze. (Pictured) Students from Fort McMurray Composite High School are released early as the wildfire burns nearby on May 3, 2016.
Residents evacuated as fires threaten Canada oil sands town
FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta — The entire population of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, has been ordered to evacuate from a wildfire that officials said destroyed whole neighborhoods.
More than 80,000 residents have been ordered to flee as flames continued to make their way into the city Tuesday.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called it the biggest evacuation in the history of the province. Residents were panicked. Highway 63 is the only road out of the city and flames jumped the road.
Fire chief Darby Allen said they did not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed, but said the fire is burning in several areas in the city's south end and had destroyed a mobile home park.
There have been no reports of serious injuries and Allen said right now the priority was to keep everyone safe. Allen said they have requested military assistance and expect the army and air force will start sending out troops within a couple of days.
Fort McMurray is the heart of Canada's oil sands region. The Alberta oil sands are the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the city's south side.
Allen said they are trying to maintain the crucial infrastructure in the city, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south.
"We appreciate that some of you have lost properties. We have people working here right now that have lost property, too," he said.
Medical staffers who were evacuated to Noralta Lodge, 26 kms (16 miles) north of Fort McMurray, were ready when a local woman went into labor.
Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake saluted the news on Twitter: "Time for good news. I hear a baby (maybe 2) was born tonight and delivered by @NoraltaLodge! Full service evacuation rocks! #bewellbabies"
Brian Jean, the leader of Alberta's opposition party and a resident of the city, said much of downtown Fort McMurray is being destroyed by fire, but the fire chief said there had mostly been spot fires which have been extinguished. "My home of the last 10 years and the home I had for 15 years before that are both destroyed," Jean said.
The wildfire, whipped by unpredictable winds on a day of unseasonably hot temperatures, worsened dramatically in a short time and many residents were given little notice to flee.
The worst is not over because of high temperatures and strong winds are expected Wednesday, warned forestry manager Bernie Schmitte.
The blaze, which had burned since Sunday but seemed on its way to being neutralized Tuesday morning, overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically in the mid-afternoon to the southwest of the city. Officials said flames stormed along a ravine and roared into the city and the race was on to get out.
Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene. There was fire jumping roads, burning debris pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled and fumbled to find their way through the thick grey haze.
"It became chaotic with vehicles trying to swerve and pull out into the ditch," said resident Jordan Stuffco.
Air tankers and helicopters buzzed overhead.
"(With) the heat from the oncoming smoke and the flames, you could see mini-tornadoes forming near the road. It was something out of an apocalyptic movie."
The main road into Fort McMurray, was closed at the southern entrance to the city after flames jumped the road. Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he spoke with Notley and said the federal government stands ready to help. He urged residents to follow evacuation orders.
As the afternoon wore on and the fire intensified, more and more sections of the city were ordered evacuated until the entire community was ordered out after 6 p.m.
Carol Christian's home was in one of the neighborhoods under the order to leave. She said it was scary as she drove to an evacuation center with her son and cat.
"When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," she said, her voice breaking.
"It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time.'"
Oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house evacuees as the raging wildfire emptied the city.
Officials were also evacuating non-essential staff at Suncor's base plant. It is 30 kilometers (18 miles) away and one of the closest facilities to the city. Spokesman Paul Newmarch said evacuees were moving into the plant's work camps.
Will Gibson, a spokesman for Syncrude, which also has a plant north of the town, was himself one of the evacuees heading north away from the flames.
Gibson said he had to flee his neighborhood via a grass embankment because the fire had already cut off the road at both ends.
"I left my neighborhood and there were houses on fire," he said. "I don't know if and when I'll be going back."
The large work camps can normally accommodate thousands of workers.
A local radio reporter said a trailer park that had been evacuated on Monday was on fire and flames were advancing toward businesses.
"It's chaos on the roads. People are panicking. It's gridlock on the roads. Flames are right next to a gas station," said Carina Van Heerde with radio station KAOS.
The unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box.
The wildfire threat ranged from very high to extreme in different areas.
The province was calling in more reinforcements to Fort McMurray, including 100 more firefighters and a giant helicopter that can dump more than 2,000 liters (500 gallons) of water at a time.
Tragic toddler Poppy-Mai Barnard who "married" her hero dad and came second to 'Boaty McBoatface' dies
A tragic toddler who grabbed the world's attention when she came second to Boaty McBoatface in contest for the naming of a new polar research vessel has died.
Poppy-Mai Barnard's father ‘married’ her to fulfil his promise to give her a white wedding when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Heartbroken dad Andy announced his "princess" had "grown her angel wings" this afternoon.
The one-year-old died in her father’s arms while her mother stroked her hair at home at 1.16pm yesterday.
Mr Barnard said his family was ‘heartbroken’, but more determined than ever to raise enough to build a retreat in her memory to help other families of sick children.
He released a poignant poem he had written about his daughter and pledged to fulfil his promise to her to raise £100,000 to build a centre to help other kids.
He said: ‘We will keep our promise to our princess. Poppy-Mai’s death will not be in vain. We thank everyone who has donated from the bottom of our hearts, focusing on building this has kept us strong and it will be achieving this for her that keeps us going.
‘We could not save Poppy-Mai but we can do this for her and we will. Her legacy will live on. She has touched lives around the world and will never be forgotten.’
The little girl gained worldwide fame when her name was narrowly beaten by Boaty McBoatface to win a competition to name a new polar research ship launched by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Three days ago Mr Barnard, 31, had told their 30,000 followers that Poppy-Mai had been growing more sleepy. His heart wrenching post told how she was sleeping, but occasionally her eyes would flicker.
In a post this afternoon Mr Barnard who serves with the RAF 27 squadron said: "Poppy-Mai Indi Barnard, our beautiful princess, grew her angel wings this afternoon at 13.16.
"She was in my arms with her mummy stroking her head. I miss her already. Our princess is now at peace I thought it was the right thing to let all of you special people know."
His wife Sammi, 29, later added: "Today I watched our beautiful baby grow her angel wings, as much as it hurt me to know I will never watch my baby grow, laugh, smile again, she is at peace now, no more pain and suffering.
"She fought the biggest battle and gave us a lifetime of happy memories in her short life which will stay with me for forever."
Mr Barnard and his wife Sammi had been told that Poppy-Mai could have just two days to live on March 16 this year.
The couple decided against further chemotherapy treatment because it was making her so unwell.
They took her home to be with Rylee, six and Jenson-Jay, four, and were astonished when she appeared to briefly regain her strength and sparkle.
Her father said the way Poppy-Mai had captured hearts around the globe meant she had already achieved far more in her life than he ever would.
He said: "We have been sharing her story to raise awareness to save other lives and to raise funds to build a permanent centre for other families.
"It gives us strength and comfort to do that when we can’t do a lot else."
He vowed not to rest until the mission was complete.
The fundraising currently stands at £29,000, short of its £100,000 target.
Andy had dreamed of walking his princess down the aisle and vowed she would one day have the perfect wedding.
Determined to see their dreams come true, Andy’s RAF colleagues hastily arranged a 'wedding day' for Poppy-Mai and the beautiful little bride ‘married’ her hero father.
Poppy-Mai was escorted to the aisle by her mother and big brothers.
Andy who serves with the RAF 27 squadron regiment said: "From the moment we found out Poppy-Mai was a girl I’ve said she’d have the wedding of her dreams one day.
"I never, ever thought it would be like this. Our hearts are broken forever, but I wanted to keep my promise to my princess. It wasn’t how I imagined, but she got her wedding day."
It was just six weeks ago that the Bernard family had the world turned upside down.
On February 14 mum Sammi took Poppy-Mai to the doctors. The usually playful toddler had gone off her food and drink and was constipated with a distended tummy.
Sammi had also noticed she seemed off balance. Their GP put the little girl’s symptoms down to teething and prescribed a laxative.
But Poppy-Mai grew worse and Sammi noticed a lump appear under her rib cage.
Now refusing all food and drink and unwilling to walk, Sammi took her back to the GP ten days later.
A different doctor prescribed a stronger laxative. But the following afternoon on February 25th Sammi was so concerned she drove her daughter to their local A&E.
The toddler, who had now started vomiting, was immediately admitted as doctors battled to stabilise her.
Sammi said: "Her calcium levels were way too high and they had to address that first before they could start to work out what was wrong.
"At the worst I thought she maybe had a really bad infection."
Sammi’s father who was serving with his squadron in America was kept informed over the phone.
Only later that day an ultrasound revealed what appeared to be a mass in her stomach.
Sammi said: "The consultant sat me down and said: ‘You know this is much worse than constipation now, don’t you?'
"I did. But when he said they suspected cancer I was shocked." Sammi was told that they suspected her daughter had Wilms – a type of kidney cancer in children.
The heartbroken mum had to break the news to her husband over the phone and bosses arranged for him to be flown back to the UK to be with his daughter who was being transferred to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge.
She was thrilled to see her daddy again but there was bad news when a CT scan revealed the mass on her kidney had started to spread and speckles were detected in the Poppy -Mai’s lungs.
But just one week on the speckles had already grown into masses.
Doctors diagnosed a malignant rhabdoid tumour in her kidneys and lungs – a very rare and aggressive type of cancer.
She started chemotherapy and appeared to respond well. But on March 16 cancer was found in her brain.
The size and position of the tumour above her right eye meant it was inoperable and she was given two days to live.
More than 30,0000 people followed the family’s journey on their Facebook page and the tot and her brothers received gifts from across the UK every day from well wishers.
Mr Barnard said there were so many he had began donating items daily to local charity shops.
He said: "People’s kindness has been extraordinary, they took Poppy-Mai to their hearts and to know she was so loved makes us so proud."
The poem Andy Barnard wrote for Poppy-Mai
Poppy-Mai what can I say
I watch you in awe everyday
Never before have I felt such love
You'll soon be an angel up above
I follow your lead everyday
I hide my feelings, tuck them away
I cry inside but show you a smile
Your stronger than me by a mile
Inspirational & Courageous are just two
Of the best words to describe you
You keep on going, I don't know how
For that Princess I take a bow
Many memories have been made
I'd rather that you'd have stayed
My One True Love is getting sleepy
It makes me feel rather weepy
My emotions have run wild
My precious Princess, my beautiful child
I wish I could make this go away
My precious Princess Please Please stay
You have taught me many things
And soon you'll grow you Angel Wings
Your time on earth is nearly done
I'll hold you close and rub your tum
Your beautiful eyes they tell a story
At the end of this there is no glory
So at peace you will be
The pain in my face you will not see
Poppy-Mai you are my HERO
I wish I could reduce this cancer to ZERO
Your a special girl, my shining star
I'll still talk to you babe from a far
Poppy-Mai what can I say
I watch you I awe everyday
This is a Poem from a Proud and Broken Daddy
To help build the centre in memory of Poppy-Mai please visit www.gofundme.com/poppy-mai
Police Dig At Former Home Of Fred West's Friends
Police are digging up a garden at the former home of a paedophile couple who were friends with Fred and Rose West.
David and Pauline Williams are believed to have met the Wests while they were running the Prince Albert pub in Gloucester, where they also began to abuse children in the 1980s.
The abuse continued after they moved to Exeter in the 1990s, where they ran the Victoria Inn.
On Tuesday scaffolding was erected in the garden at the bungalow where the Williams last lived in Cullompton, Devon, before they were jailed.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the enquiry related to the previous owners and that they were excavating the garden following a tip-off.
A police spokesman said: "Following intelligence received, Devon and Cornwall Police are undertaking excavation work at a property in Cullompton, Devon.
"This relates to historic intelligence connected to the address and its former occupants. It is expected to take up to four days to complete.
"Specialist officers will be involved in the excavation, which we hope will have as little impact on the local community as possible."
Police said after their trial in November 2015 that the couple had been found guilty of 48 individual and joint charges stretching over 15 years.
David Williams was jailed for life after being found guilty of a number of offences including 11 counts of indecent assault, 10 counts of rape, two counts of gross indecency with a child, three counts of indecency with a child, two of cruelty and two cases of aiding and abetting an indecent assault.
Pauline Williams has been sentenced to 12 years in prison plus four years' extended licence after she was found guilty on two counts of aiding and abetting rape, two counts of aiding and abetting an indecent assault, and three counts of indecent assault.
The Wests were charged with the murders of young women over a 20-year period.
Fred West hanged himself in 1995 while awaiting trial, while Rose was convicted of 10 murders and sentenced to life the same year.
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