There’s a raging wildfire burning in the province of Alberta.  Over 10,000 hectares (that’s over 24,710 acres, for those of us who can’t think in metric without whipping out our calculators) have burnt so far; over 1,600 homes and buildings in the town of Fort McMurray have been destroyed; and more than 88,000 people (the whole town and its environs, more or less) have been evacuated.*  The Alberta government has declared a provincial state of emergency.

Pictures, video, and breaking news can be found on the CBCnews liveblog, here – including the 6:36 Eastern time word that the Alberta government has pledged to match donations to Red Cross Canada dollar-for-dollar.  The Red Cross Canada donation page is here.

*Obligatory writing reference: There are times when the passive voice is both appropriate and effective. This, I think, is one of them.