Strange May blazes burn a third of Slave Lake, Alberta, and threaten to cook the tar sands area-
It’s only mid-May, and it still struggles to get much above 60 degrees here in Eastern Idaho, but forest fires are torching northern Alberta, not all that far from the Arctic Circle. A third of the town of 7000 at Slave Lake burned. In the general area, many of the giant tar sand pits have been evacuated. This is near Ft. McMurray. Temperatures have been in the high 70s and 80s.
Hundreds of homes now just smouldering rubble. Premier, mayor shaken by scope of devastation in Slave Lake. Edmonton Journal. By Mariam Ibrahim, Ryan Cormier and Ben Gelinas
Other fires continue to burn across northern Alberta. By Ryan Cormier, Edmonton Journal.
Raging fires stop oil and gas operations. Hundreds evacuated from facilities. By Dina O’Meara, Calgary Herald
The Wildlife News 
May 18, 2011 at 10:08 AM
I just now happened to be looking at some satellite imagery of these Alberta fires up near Lake Athabasca taken 2 days ago.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=50635&src=eoa-iotd
This seems unusual to me. More anecdotal evidence of climate change, perhaps.
May 18, 2011 at 10:48 AM
It would make for some good photography. Extensive surface mining operations with a background of thick, hazy smoke choking out the sky. Satan could slap it on the wall right behind his desk.
May 20, 2011 at 7:43 AM
You have heard that the rapture is this Saturday haven’t you? Maybe you’ll get your chance to give the photo to him personally 😉
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/us/20rapture.html?_r=2&hp
Some of my friends are attending an “After the Rapture Looting Party”. I’ll be on the road that day so I won’t be able to get in on the best stuff.
I don’t think it’s global warming evidence, I think it’s a test of the systems for the big one on Saturday.