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A city of 60,000 people has been entirely evacuated due to an encroaching wildfire http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-remains-out-of-control-after-city-evacuated-1.3563977 and, so far, "there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries". This situation, preliminarily, might have impressive DRR success characteristics. It would be useful to examine the years and decades beforehand to determine if there were specific planning, preparedness, and risk reduction measures which led to this result. Several provisos are needed before labelling it a full 'success':1. The article itself details some key problems in the evacuation, such as availability of fuel and evacuation centres.2. The situation is far from over. There might yet be casualties. Did anyone stay behind or was it 100% evacuation?3. Lack of deaths and injuries is not the only requisite for DRR 'success'. Major property damage and livelihoods interruption has occurred. Perhaps poor planning and inadequate risk reduction led to this situation, perhaps not.4. Why did the wildfire become such an intense hazard, how 'natural' is the hazard? Is it typical for the location and season? Did forest management practices, urban development, land use, or human-influenced environmental trends play any role in making this fire's parameters particularly different from the past?5. The disaster is far from over once the fires are quelled. Susanna Hoffman's powerful writings on the 1991 Oakland–Berkeley firestorm hold poignant lessons regarding how much work remains for Fort McMurray afterwards. Will adequate support of all forms be in place for those affected? What will happen to the city in the long-term? Congratulations to Fort McMurray for, by preliminary reports, a solid evacuation, notwithstanding the issues raised. Let's hope this potential success translates into other successes related to this disaster. Ilan http://www.ilankelman.org Twitter @IlanKelman