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City of devastation

UPDATE: 11:10 p.m.

Emergency officials confirm whole neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray have been destroyed by a raging forest fire that sliced through the middle of the northern oilsands hub city.

Tens of thousands were sent fleeing in both directions, and the entire community of 80,000 was ordered evacuated.

Fire chief Darby Allen did not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed, but said the fire is burning in several areas in the city's south end and had razed a mobile home park.

There have been no reports of serious injuries and Allen said the priority is keeping everyone safe.

"Everybody here ... has given everything today to do the very best they could," Allen told a conference call with reporters late in the day. "We will continue to do the very best for you. We appreciate that some of you have lost properties. We have people working here right now that have lost property, too."

He also said they are trying to maintain crucial infrastructure in the city, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south.

"It's in the city. It's impacting communities as we speak. Homes are on fire as we speak. It's not a question of how far away it is anymore — it's here."


UPDATE: 9:25 p.m.

The leader of Alberta's Opposition says that much of the downtown in the northern oil hub of Fort McMurray is being destroyed by fire.

Brian Jean, who is also the member of the legislature for the area, said late Tuesday that flames are encroaching on the city centre.

"Our hospital is on fire, where my children were born," a sombre Jean told The Canadian Press in an interview. "My home of the last 10 years and the home I had for 15 years before that are both destroyed.

"I'm just hoping that the home I grew up in isn't, but I'm afraid it probably is."

He said businesses that have been in his family for three generations have been destroyed.

"It is a devastating impact but I'm hoping that we've had no loss of life," he said.

The raging forest fire whipped up by shifting winds sent tens of thousands fleeing in both directions and prompted the evacuation of the entire city.

The blaze, which had burned since Sunday but seemed on its way to being neutralized Tuesday morning, overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically in the mid-afternoon to the southwest of the city.

Officials said flames stormed along a ravine and roared into the city and the race was on to get out.

Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene of fountains of flame.

There was fire jumping roads, burning debris pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled and fumbled to find their way through the thick grey haze.

"It became chaotic with vehicles trying to swerve and pull out into the ditch," said resident Jordan Stuffco.

Air tankers and helicopters buzzed overhead.

"(With) the heat from the oncoming smoke and the flames, you could see mini-tornadoes forming near the road. It was something out of an apocalyptic movie."

The blaze razed homes on the city's western edge, though it was unclear how many. Officials confirmed some homes in a trailer park were torched.

As the afternoon wore on and the fire intensified, more and more sections of the city were ordered evacuated until the entire community, an estimated 80,000, was ordered out after 6 p.m.

Resident Carol Christian drove to an evacuation centre with her son and cat.

"When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," she said, her voice breaking.

"It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time.' "

Highway 63, the main way into Fort McMurray from the south, was closed after flames jumped the road. Those who had headed south were told to stay away while those who couldn't head south headed north.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, speaking to reporters in Edmonton, said the province was doing all it could to ensure everyone's safety. She said she was looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues.

"As frustrating and as scary as it is to leave your home, it's not as frustrating and scary as to find that you're trapped," said Notley.

"It is absolutely important that people follow instructions and evacuate as requested."

She said 160 Mounties were on scene trying to get people out.

Officials said there was no word of any injuries or people laid up by smoke inhalation.

Resident Sandra Hickey said the situation changed quite quickly.

"When I got in the shower earlier today the sky was blue. When I got out, the sky was black," said Sandra Hickey, who had to leave her home. "It was fast. The wind picked up and changed direction."

Fire officials had already warned earlier in the day that rising temperatures and low humidity could help the fire grow.

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranged from very high to extreme.

Government spokesman Bruce Mayer said a cold front was expected to come through the region by mid- to late-day Wednesday, which would bring with it shifting winds gusting to 50 km/h. He said to expect "a more intense burning day."

North of Fort McMurray, work camps associated with oilsands projects were being re-purposed to house evacuees.

Notley said the camps have secured spaces for 6,000 people, "but we know we need to find more."

John Henderson of Edmonton, a scaffolder who was staying at a camp about an hour north of Fort McMurray, said he and the other workers were going to be flown out to make room for the evacuees, most of whom had arrived on buses and were staying in the gymnasium.

"Let's face it, if things go south — and by south I mean move more north — this isn't a place you want to be anyways."

Evacuee Roscoe Sleeth arrived at the Mount Logan Lodge camp with his wife, two children and their two dogs.

He described a harrowing journey trying to get out of their city in a car packed full of their belongings. They first tried to go south on Highway 63, but when they got to the overpass "the flames were right down to the highway and cops were turning people around."

A third son had managed to make it through before the fire jumped the highway.

"I would guess 30,000 to 70,000 people are going north," he said. "It was wall to wall traffic going north."

Sleeth has been through evacuations before, and said it's "just part of living in the north."

He shrugged off the possible loss of his home back in Fort McMurray.

"It's just wood, hay and stubble," he said. "I got my family out."

Hayley O'Malley, a construction worker from Edmonton, said Tuesday she was going to head up to Fort McMurray with a group of about 100 friends to help out, adding they would load up with water and food to take to the evacuees.

"I'll drive north, help out where I can and see what happens," she said.

However, the Alberta Fire Fighters Association sent out an urgent tweet, pleading with people to stay home.

"We all want to help but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU SELF DEPLOY!"

Fort McMurray is the capital of Alberta's oilsands region and sits about 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

It was five years ago this month that wildfires destroyed about one-third of the community of Slave Lake, Alta. More than 500 homes and buildings were damaged at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Notley said the Fort McMurray situation rivals the Slave Lake catastrophe.

"In terms of fire this is our biggest fire evacuation," she said. "This is bigger than Slave Lake."


UPDATE 5:36 P.M.

Tens of thousands of people from the northern Alberta oilsands city of Fort McMurray were forced from their homes by a raging wildfire Tuesday that engulfed buildings, pushed billowing dark clouds of thick smoke into the air and spit ash down on residents.

The wildfire, whipped by unpredictable winds on a day when the temperature reached 32 C, worsened dramatically in a short time and many residents had little notice to flee. Towers of bright-orange flames cut through the clouds and skipped over tinder-dry forest.

Almost 30,000 people were under a mandatory evacuation order.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the province was doing all it could to ensure everyone's safety. She said she was looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues.

"As frustrating and as scary as it is to leave your home, it's not as frustrating and scary as to find that you're trapped," Notley said in a late-afternoon update.

"It is absolutely important that people follow instructions and evacuate as requested."

Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management said the flames had burned a number of structures, but he couldn't say how many.

Carol Christian's home was in one of the neighbourhoods under the order to leave. She said it was scary as she drove to an evacuation centre with her son and cat.

"When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," she said, her voice breaking.

"It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time."

Work camps associated with oilsands projects well north of the city were being re-purposed to house evacuees.

"We've made our work camp available to staff and their families who have been evacuated and need a place to stay," said Cameron Yost of Shell Canada.

Resident Mark Durocher, 25, described the air as "thick."

"If you just walk outside, you feel it (ash) falling on you. You see it floating in the air. I can take a broom and brush it off my deck," said Durocher.

"You can taste it and feel it when you're walking around. It feels really heavy and you can taste just how 'woody' it is in the air."

A local radio reporter said a trailer park that had been evacuated on Monday was on fire and flames were advancing toward businesses.

"It's chaos on the roads. People are panicking. It's gridlock on the roads. Flames are right next to a gas station," said Carina Van Heerde with radio station KAOS.

Highway 63, the main way into Fort McMurray from the south, was closed after flames jumped the road.

Coun. Keith McGrath described the situation as "dire."

Another radio reporter, J.D. Deraadt, said the fire flared up suddenly.

"I'm feeling nervous. It's a bit of a surreal thing to see it go from nothing to big. It's very disheartening."

Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads.

Fort McMurray is the capital of Alberta's oilsands region and sits about 450 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, had an overall population of 125,000 in 2015. That included a temporary "shadow" population — many of whom live in work camps — of 43,000.

It's five years ago this month that wildfires destroyed about one-third of the community of Slave Lake, Alta. More than 500 homes and buildings were damaged at a cost of almost $1 billion.

Crews had seemed to be making progress controlling the Fort McMurray blaze, burning since the weekend, but the situation worsened quickly.

Sandra Hickey, who lives in a neighbourhood under an evacuation order, said the situation changed quite quickly.

"When I got in the shower earlier today the sky was blue. When I got out. The sky was black," said Sandra Hickey, who had to leave her home. "It was fast. The wind picked up and changed direction."

Fire officials had already warned earlier in the day that rising temperatures and low humidity could help the fire grow.

"Don't get into a false sense of security," fire chief Darby Allen said during a media briefing before things worsened. "We are in for a rough day."

Crews were busy cutting down a line of unburned trees in the path of the flames to deny the fire fuel. Air tankers were dropping carpets of fire retardant while other aircraft released water.

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranging from very high to extreme.

Forestry spokesman Bruce Mayer said a cold front was expected to come through the region by mid- to late-day Wednesday, which would bring with it shifting winds gusting to 50 km/h. He said to expect "a more intense burning day."


UPDATE: 3:40 p.m.

At least half of the city of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta was under an evacuation notice Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents.

"If you just walk outside, you feel it (ash) falling on you. You see it floating in the air. I can take a broom and brush it off my deck," said resident Mark Durocher.

Durocher, 25, described the air as "thick."

"You can taste it and feel it when you're walking around. It feels really heavy and you can taste just how 'woody' it is in the air."

Fort McMurray has a population of more than 61,000 people.


UPDATE 3 p.m.

Parts of downtown Fort McMurray in northern Alberta were under an evacuation notice Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds began engulfing homes on the outskirts.

The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo said people should leave immediately and head for a lodge about 20 kilometres north of the city.

Residents were ordered to flee several neighbourhoods and a trailer park that had been evacuated on Monday was on fire, said Carina Van Heerde, a reporter with Fort McMurray radio station KAOS.

She said the fire was advancing towards a Super8 motel and a gas station.

"It's chaos on the roads. People are panicking. It's gridlock on the roads. Flames are right next to a gas station," she said.

Radio reporter J.D. Deraadt said the fire flared up suddenly.

"I'm feeling nervous. It's a bit of a surreal thing to see it go from nothing to big. It's very disheartening."

Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads.


UPDATE: 2 p.m.

Residents of three more Fort McMurray neighbourhoods in northern Alberta were ordered from their homes Tuesday as crews battled a growing wildfire threatening the city.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued a mandatory evacuation notice as the 26-square-kilometre fire spread.

"Residents should evacuate to MacDonald Island Park," read the order sent on Twitter.

About 200 people previously told to leave their homes in a trailer park also remained on mandatory evacuation.

Fire officials had already warned earlier in the day that rising temperatures and low humidity could help the fire grow.

"Don't get into a false sense of security," fire chief Darby Allen said during a media briefing before things worsened. "We are in for a rough day."

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranging from very high to extreme.

The Alberta government banned all open fires except in designated camping sites in forested areas due to the threat. There were about 30 fires burning in the province.

The province was calling in more reinforcements to Fort McMurray, including 100 more firefighters and a giant helicopter that can dump more than 2,000 litres of water at a time.

Crews were busy cutting down a line of unburned trees in the path of the flames to deny the fire fuel. Air tankers were dropping carpets of fire retardant while other aircraft released water.

Bernie Schmitte, an Alberta wildfire manager, said spruce and pine trees growing in the area burn easily and hot. He said changing wind conditions were also a concern.

"It is going to challenge us throughout the day," he said. "At this point we cannot say that there is any part or portion of the line that is 100 per cent secure or contained."

About 500 residents from a different neighbourhood who had been ordered out on the weekend were allowed to return home Monday.

Allen warned that people shouldn't let their guard down if they didn't see flames.

Officials were also keeping a close eye on the situation in Saskatchewan. The wildfire threat in forested areas ranged from moderate to extreme. About a dozen fires were burning in remote areas.

Several communities in Saskatchewan had fire bans, including Saskatoon and La Ronge.

Duane McKay, Saskatchewan's emergency management commissioner, called on people to be extremely cautious with fires.

"If conditions rise very rapidly over the next few days, then I'm sure that the province will consider putting a (fire) ban in the northern parts of the province," he said.

Wildfires in Saskatchewan last year forced about 13,000 people from their homes and burned 17,000 square kilometres of forest.


ORIGINAL

The wildfire threatening Fort McMurray in northern Alberta has grown in size as crews work to shield part of the city from the flames.

Crews and bulldozers kept the fire from spreading overnight east toward a camping area and two neighbourhoods.

Fire officials say the challenge today will be rising temperatures and low humidity that could cause the flames to spread north toward the city.

Darby Allen, fire chief of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, says just because people can't see flames doesn't mean they should let their guard down.

He says it is safe for people in the community to go about their normal lives, but they should have a plan in case the fire gets worse.

The wildfire danger for forested areas in much of Alberta and Saskatchewan ranges from high to extreme.



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