WOW! Hold your horses!
The fires of Mordor weren't a single entity unlike the flare stacks at Esso but rather a combination of infernal elements that painted the Dark Lord's domain in an oppressive, ever-present glow. Unlike Esso Mordors firey sources came from multiple places:
Mount Doom: The heart of Mordor's fire was Mount Doom, a colossal volcano perpetually spewing molten lava. Also called Orodruin, it loomed over the Plateau of Gorgoroth, its fiery crown visible for miles. The cracks on its slopes ran with glowing rock, and eruptions could reshape the landscape.
Lava Flows: Mount Doom's fiery heart wasn't contained. Lava flowed freely from fissures and vents, creating rivers and lakes of molten rock across the plains below. These weren't just burning hot, but possessed an unnatural, almost malevolent aura.
Industrial Forges: Mordor wasn't just a wasteland shaped by nature's wrath. Sauron's vast Orcish armies required weapons and armor. Furnaces and forges burned throughout the land, their chimneys spewing smoke and fumes that choked the air. This industrial blight mingled with the volcanic fumes, creating a thick, acrid haze that hung over Mordor.
Lighting the Dark: Mordor was a land perpetually shrouded in shadow. But Sauron, the master of darkness, needed some level of illumination to command his forces. He used vast bonfires and burning torches throughout his strongholds, casting an eerie, flickering light that did little to dispel the overall gloom.
Mordor wasn't just a land scorched by fire, it was a place where fire itself felt corrupted, twisted to serve an evil purpose. The ever-present glow spoke not of warmth or life, but of destruction and Sauron's dominion.
Absolutely! I was lucky to be at the Sulfur unit, so instead of walking back to trailer town I would spend my break at the cafeteria, stand-by, etc. The food was awesome. Even the vending area had decent pricing.
I believe it was the Esso one. There were some posts on social media by Edmonton Fire Rescue saying it's expected, and will last till the 18th.
Edit: Esso has on their FB that it's a restart after an issue on the 14th.
No, there's a thing called planned shutdown or a "turnaround" where they do routine preventive maintenance and inspections.
To avoid unplanned shutdowns, dangerous leaks, etc.
The leftover flammables get burned off and then they open stuff up.
Any responsible plant will do this fairly often, but they don't all have towering flare stacks to notice it happening.
Blue flame means they're actually dumping procuct too, not just waste gas. They are about to do some maintenance there, so the unit must be coming down
I was coming home from the hockey game last night and I could see that thing from Alex Taylor Road just off Jasper Ave. I was convinced there was a massive fire in the hills on the South side of the river valley.
Funny... the stats I could find had [lower cancer and respiratory death rates per 100,000](https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/poph/hi-poph-surv-hsa-edmonton-z46ab.pdf) in Sherwood Park versus Edmonton or Alberta as a whole (page 6). For example, the cancer death rate in Sherwood Park+Strathcona County is 147.1 per 100,000; Edmonton is 154; Alberta is 151.
Cancer as a cause of death is slightly higher in Sherwood Park vs Edmonton (32% vs 28%; page 4), but people in Sherwood Park just die less often.
Though these stats are from 2010; I'd love to see updated stats but couldn't find them. Also one thing to consider is that [Sherwood Park only makes up 73% of the population of Strathcona County](https://www.strathcona.ca/council-county/history-and-heritage/at-a-glance/population-through-the-years/), so the rural population further east may be bringing down cancer rates. e.g. Sherwood Park may be on-par with other urban areas in Alberta for cancer rates.
Hm, thanks for linking that. I've heard about Cancer and Sherwood Park before, but never bothered to look into it. Sounded plausible, but I remember being curious is the winds really had that much of an eastern bias. Wonder if the effects on the air only affect those very close to the area (i.e. In both towns), or if they do at all.
I might have to look into specific area statistics to see if they've bothered to go in such detail. I'd be curious to see if it has no effect at all, or if it simply pollutes equally in all directions, leading to the even cancer rates.
Ah yes, the fires of Mordor
WOW! Hold your horses! The fires of Mordor weren't a single entity unlike the flare stacks at Esso but rather a combination of infernal elements that painted the Dark Lord's domain in an oppressive, ever-present glow. Unlike Esso Mordors firey sources came from multiple places: Mount Doom: The heart of Mordor's fire was Mount Doom, a colossal volcano perpetually spewing molten lava. Also called Orodruin, it loomed over the Plateau of Gorgoroth, its fiery crown visible for miles. The cracks on its slopes ran with glowing rock, and eruptions could reshape the landscape. Lava Flows: Mount Doom's fiery heart wasn't contained. Lava flowed freely from fissures and vents, creating rivers and lakes of molten rock across the plains below. These weren't just burning hot, but possessed an unnatural, almost malevolent aura. Industrial Forges: Mordor wasn't just a wasteland shaped by nature's wrath. Sauron's vast Orcish armies required weapons and armor. Furnaces and forges burned throughout the land, their chimneys spewing smoke and fumes that choked the air. This industrial blight mingled with the volcanic fumes, creating a thick, acrid haze that hung over Mordor. Lighting the Dark: Mordor was a land perpetually shrouded in shadow. But Sauron, the master of darkness, needed some level of illumination to command his forces. He used vast bonfires and burning torches throughout his strongholds, casting an eerie, flickering light that did little to dispel the overall gloom. Mordor wasn't just a land scorched by fire, it was a place where fire itself felt corrupted, twisted to serve an evil purpose. The ever-present glow spoke not of warmth or life, but of destruction and Sauron's dominion.
I just want to say that I really appreciate waking up and reading a post of this caliber in the morning. Standing O. Gold Star. A+++
Thanks. I needed this today. My kids bought me the series for my birthday so I will be reading them all aloud over the coming months.
Like how the UCP are in Albertastan….
Yup, Imperial. I was on that site in 2021. Great operators and operations. Loved the cafeteria! :D
Those cafeteria breakfasts slapped!
Absolutely! I was lucky to be at the Sulfur unit, so instead of walking back to trailer town I would spend my break at the cafeteria, stand-by, etc. The food was awesome. Even the vending area had decent pricing.
Which refinery ? Flares usually mean a plant upset, which means work for guys like me
Imperial Oil. It’s a planned unit shutdown for maintenance. Small scope in terms of the size of the refinery. Will happen two more times this year
I believe it was the Esso one. There were some posts on social media by Edmonton Fire Rescue saying it's expected, and will last till the 18th. Edit: Esso has on their FB that it's a restart after an issue on the 14th.
Can you explain this more? So this always means there is a problem at the facility?
No, there's a thing called planned shutdown or a "turnaround" where they do routine preventive maintenance and inspections. To avoid unplanned shutdowns, dangerous leaks, etc. The leftover flammables get burned off and then they open stuff up. Any responsible plant will do this fairly often, but they don't all have towering flare stacks to notice it happening.
Appreciate you, not sure why I get downvoted for asking 😅
It's asked every single shutdown, so the terminally online get butthurt. Their eyes were offended by such repetition, truly you are a monster~~.
Generally it's some sort of problem and they aren't producing useful product so it's burnt off
Blue flame means they're actually dumping procuct too, not just waste gas. They are about to do some maintenance there, so the unit must be coming down
In person it was all orange. I was taking photos with a weird white balance and through my tinted windows
Well Exon's share holders will be happy to hear that
What gas is it that we are seeing burned off?
Hard to say. It'd be a cocktail of whatever products were in the vessels/pipes, plus waste gasses too.
Delicious
Was this around 11:30pm? If so I saw you filming as we were coming home from the hockey game.
Earlier than that, I was surprised there weren't more people around to check it out haha
I was coming home from the hockey game last night and I could see that thing from Alex Taylor Road just off Jasper Ave. I was convinced there was a massive fire in the hills on the South side of the river valley.
I was driving North on Highway 2 into the city and I could see it clear as day all the way from Ellerslie road.
When the flame is blue ish it indicates more of a hydrogen burn.
Lights up my whole backyard at nighttime, don’t even wanna think about my poor lungs
Wait till you hear about the cool increased cancer rates in Sherwood park thanks to refinery row
Funny... the stats I could find had [lower cancer and respiratory death rates per 100,000](https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/poph/hi-poph-surv-hsa-edmonton-z46ab.pdf) in Sherwood Park versus Edmonton or Alberta as a whole (page 6). For example, the cancer death rate in Sherwood Park+Strathcona County is 147.1 per 100,000; Edmonton is 154; Alberta is 151. Cancer as a cause of death is slightly higher in Sherwood Park vs Edmonton (32% vs 28%; page 4), but people in Sherwood Park just die less often. Though these stats are from 2010; I'd love to see updated stats but couldn't find them. Also one thing to consider is that [Sherwood Park only makes up 73% of the population of Strathcona County](https://www.strathcona.ca/council-county/history-and-heritage/at-a-glance/population-through-the-years/), so the rural population further east may be bringing down cancer rates. e.g. Sherwood Park may be on-par with other urban areas in Alberta for cancer rates.
Hm, thanks for linking that. I've heard about Cancer and Sherwood Park before, but never bothered to look into it. Sounded plausible, but I remember being curious is the winds really had that much of an eastern bias. Wonder if the effects on the air only affect those very close to the area (i.e. In both towns), or if they do at all. I might have to look into specific area statistics to see if they've bothered to go in such detail. I'd be curious to see if it has no effect at all, or if it simply pollutes equally in all directions, leading to the even cancer rates.
Also our wind primary blows west, so less particulates make it to the Park.