Richardson Fire

The Richardson Fire (also known as the Richardson Backcountry Fire) was a 2011 forest fire in the Canadian province of Alberta. It was located north of the city of Fort McMurray in an area known as the Richardson Backcountry. The fire started in mid-May 2011, and burned over 700,000 hectares (1,700,000 acres) of boreal forest. It threatened facilities in the Athabasca oil sands, and resulted in several evacuations and shutdowns. Firefighting efforts included agencies from several Canadian provinces as well as international crews. The Richardson fire was the largest fire in Alberta since the 1950 Chinchaga Fire, and the second largest recorded fire in the province's history.

Richardson Fire
LocationRichardson Backcountry, north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Statistics[1][2][3][4]
Cost$350-450 million ($414 million to ($532 million in 2021 dollars)[5]
Date(s)May 15, 2011 (2011-05-15) – September 2011 (2011-09)
Burned area705,075 hectares (1,742,280 acres)
Map

Cause

Alberta government representatives have not pinpointed the source of the fire, but have stated that it was “almost certainly the result of human activity”.[6] Several small fires were started in the region north of Fort McMurray on May 15. This was the same day that the destructive Slave Lake fire started to the west.[7] Five of these fires would grow into large burns, including the Richardson fire, and were named the Bitumont Complex in late May.[8] Extremely dry conditions, high winds, and above-normal temperatures allowed these fires to spread rapidly.[7][9]

Bitumont complex
CNRL plant with burn in foreground

The first of the complex fires to threaten oil sands mining and extraction operations was the Kearl Lake fire, designated MWF 030. This fire caused work stoppages at Imperial Oil's Kearl site near the settlement of Fort McKay, affecting over 3000 employees.[10] A fire in the Richardson backcountry area, designated MSW 007, joined with several smaller fires, including Fire 030, in early June. The southern flank of the fire burned into the Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) "Horizon" plant, causing the evacuation of thousands of employees and a shutdown of the plant.[4] The fire eventually caused damage to the facility and lost revenues totaling $350 to $450 million Canadian dollars.[4]

At a final size of approximately 700,000 hectares the Richardson fire would become the largest fire in Alberta's modern history, and the second largest recorded fire after the 1.5 million-hectare Chinchaga Fire of 1950.[1] As the 1950 fire started in British Columbia and spread to Alberta, some sources classified the Richardson fire as the largest in Alberta history.[11]

Suppression efforts

Early control efforts on the complex were unsuccessful due to dry conditions and high winds. Suppression activities were focused around the oil sands facilities and the settlement of Fort McKay on the southern flank of the fire. Back burning operations were conducted to remove unburned fuel and direct the fire. Over 850 personnel and 40 helicopters were assigned, in addition to bomber groups from throughout the province.[12] Crews from across Canada and a small contingent of Mexican firefighters worked on the complex.[9] Control lines were constructed using bulldozers and other heavy equipment.

Despite the extensive resources, containment was not achieved until late June, when rain and cooler weather entered the region.[13] Areas of the fire, especially on the eastern flanks, were allowed to burn into July and August due to the absence of human settlements or oil facilities in those areas.

See also

References
  1. "SRD pares down number of firefighters in Richardson backcountry". Fort McMurray Today. June 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  2. "Massive northern Alberta wildfire nears record size". Global News. Edmonton. June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  3. Christian, Carol (July 2011). "Firefighters hold Richardson backcountry fire". Fort McMurray Today. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  4. "Canadian Natural Resources Limited Provides a Further Update on the Impact of Alberta Forest Fires" (Press release). Marketwire. May 31, 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  5. 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021. and table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  6. Howlett, Trevor (July 2011). "Richardson backcountry fire under control". Fort McMurray Today. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  7. "Northern Alta. fire surges to size of P.E.I." CBC.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 15, 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  8. Christian, Carol (June 2012). "Mexican firefighters arrive to help battle fire". Fort McMurray Today. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  9. Ibrahim, Mariam (May 25, 2011). "Wildfires continue to burn in Fort McMurray area". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  10. Brent, Wittmeier (May 30, 2011). "Wildfire forces work stoppage at Alberta oilsands site". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  11. Quijada, Melissa. "Fires in Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada". NASA. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  12. Exton, Whitney. "Current Wildfires and Hazard Update:Waterways". Alberta Sustainable Resources Development Industry Mailout. Government of Alberta. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  13. Pope, Alexandra. "Rain helps fire crews in northern Alberta". The Weather Network. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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