A wildfire in Crowsnest, Alberta in August 2003 quickly grew out of control, forming a 6 km wall of flames up to 50 meters high and emitting energy equivalent to an atomic bomb every 30 minutes. An eyewitness named Elaine Hruby had to evacuate her home immediately, driving 20 km away to watch as the flames approached her town of Hillcrest. The fire burned 20,000 hectares and impacted the local timber industry as well as businesses and tourism, though a sawmill was able to salvage some burned wood, and fires can allow for new ecological diversity and undergrowth.
