Keep calm and carry on

Right now, about 30 kilometers from the centre of Timmins, the biggest forest fire in the country is burning. And people are starting to panic.

The fire started on Sunday and has grown to a monstrous size. Firefighters and water bombers from British Columbia, Manitoba, and the East coast have been called in to help put it out. It is scary - I won't lie, but this event has really brought home how quickly rumours can spread and things can get out of control. 

Yesterday, because of strong winds, smoke from the forest fire started to roll into the city. By mid-afternoon, a thick layer of yellowish grey smoke coated the sky and blocked the sunlight. I was at work, and at first I didn't really think anything of the smoke (except, "It's just smoke from the forest fire.") 

Then, the fear-mongering started. Patrons started coming in in a panic. "The fire is 15 kilometers away from the city!" one said. "They're going to be evacuating us soon," said another. That's when the pit in my stomach started to grow. I looked at the sky, and the smoke looked completely different than it had a minute earlier. It somehow appeared more ominous, oppressing, and was that just a hint of flame I saw up over the horizon oh my god EVERYBODY OUT NOW WE'RE BURNING UP!

You see how quickly it can happen? Especially to basketcases like me? We feed off of each other's fear, and suddenly the whole city is convinced we're going down. I pictured myself running through the streets haphazardly shouting "TELL MY DAD I LOVE HIM AND MAKE SURE MY SISTER GETS THAT LASAGNA RECIPE DOWN GOD ALMIGHTY THAT WAS GOOD LASAGNA!!!"

Yesterday afternoon, the City of Timmins did declare a state of emergency. But they also made it clear that this did not mean we were in danger from the fire. Yes, the smoke was thick and officials were advising people to close their windows and try not to breathe it in. But the State of Emergency status is a way to get extra resources from the government. The mayor stated it was a precautionary measure so that everything was in place if the worst was to happen. EMPHASIS ON THE 'IF'. 

I called my dad, who I knew would put things into perspective for me. This is what I hope to do for all of you. Here is what he said: 

1. When travelling in a car, 30 kms does not seem like a far distance. But for a fire, this is far away. While people are saying this fire is fast-moving, it's not fast like you're picturing it. It would take a long time to reach the city.  
2. Fire needs fuel. Right now, it has oodles of it (I added the 'oodles,' my dad would never say 'oodles',) with all of the timber in the forest. But once that fire reaches areas with not so much timber, it will slow very quickly. It will most definitely not sweep through the city during the night while we lie unsuspecting in our beds dreaming of Leo topless and rubbing suntan lotion on our backs.
3. There are lots of people fighting this fire right now. Professional people. This is what they do, and they know what they're doing. "It's like us plowing snow," he said. "They are professionals and they are good at what they do, and they are doing everything they can to tackle that beast."
4. If worse comes to worse, officials will tell us to leave. If no one's told us to leave, we're ok. They won't let us burn.

All evening, we checked reliable news sources. The local media has been doing a wonderful job updating everyone with (for the most part) accurate information. Social media sites, not so much. I've decided to stay off them for the next couple of days - to avoid the panic and drama of it all. A medium where people can post whatever they feel like is ok when it's all "Hey, did you hear about Esther's cat that can play the piano while baking a cake and crocheting an afghan," but not so cool when it's all "WE'RE ON FIRE AND WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" People like drama, and it's easy to get caught up in it. But really, it doesn't do us any good.

So let's not add fuel to the fire, people. Today, it is raining, which we're all so thankful for. That rain is supposed to continue all weekend. Let's just keep calm and carry on. We'll be ok.