Well it’s not like you guys got a ton of notice either to try and plan out alternate back road routes either (if I remember it was 2 days from the fire starting to it ripping through town?). I remember when it was happening some of the photos and videos I was seeing of the flames licking at peoples cars as they tried to escape terrified me. People really don’t realize that where Alberta is (with very diverse topography including boreal ignition sources and being smack dab in the middle of a rapidly changing jet stream and the Rockies forcing air to rapidly move down the eastern slopes) makes it absolutely awful to try and forecast anything more than 24h in advance for people who are unfamiliar with the terrain. One of my best friends (a wildland firefighter/helitack) was called up there and he said it was one of the worst fires he remembers fighting. Conditions sucked ass, it was hotter than hell and there was basically no humidity and it was crazy fast moving so they were struggling just trying to hold the line, Nevermind making any progress. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. Makes me feel old.