Canada wildfire growing as weather heats up, escape convoy underway...
Canada wildfire: Alberta blaze threatens neighbouring province
Sat, 07 May 2016 - A massive, out-of-control wildfire raging in the Canadian province of Alberta is growing rapidly and could spread to neighbouring Saskatchewan, officials say.
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Canada wildfire explodes in size, evacuees urged to go to cities
Sunday 8th May, 2016 - A raging Canadian wildfire grew explosively on Saturday as hot, dry winds pushed the blaze across the energy heartland of Alberta and smoke forced the shutdown of a major oil sands project.
Canada wildfire: Alberta blaze threatens neighbouring province
Sat, 07 May 2016 - A massive, out-of-control wildfire raging in the Canadian province of Alberta is growing rapidly and could spread to neighbouring Saskatchewan, officials say.
Hot, dry and windy conditions are hampering efforts by hundreds of firefighters to tackle the blaze. The flames have already caused the evacuation of 80,000 people from the oil city of Fort McMurray. Thousands are still stuck north of the city but the authorities hope to finish their evacuation by the end of the day. "The Fort McMurray wildfire is still burning out of control," said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. "Temperatures are forecast to be in the high twenties with winds gusting up to 40km/h (25mph). In these conditions officials tell us the fire may double in size in the forested areas today."
A convoy drives past wildfire in Canada
At more than 1,500 sq km (579 sq mi), the blaze already covers an area the size of London. There is the possibility of rain on Sunday and Monday, and the fire is spreading into remote wooded areas minimising its danger. Earlier this week, most evacuees headed south but some fled north, sheltering in work camps beyond Fort McMurray. Thousands have since been shuttled out by road and air, with small convoys passing through the fire-ravaged city on Saturday. Ms Notley said the goal was to complete the evacuations by the end of Saturday. The blaze has ruined entire neighbourhoods, with residents warned it could be some time before they could return.
3 May 2016
Despite the mandatory order to leave, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have said they found an elderly man and a family of five in Fort McMurray. They were led to safety. Some 1,600 homes and other buildings have been lost but no deaths or injuries have been reported. Fort McMurray is in the heart of Canada's oil sands country, and the region has the world's third-largest reserves of oil. As much as a quarter of the country's oil production has been halted by the fire, raising concerns about the effect on the Canadian economy. There are warnings the blaze could burn to the edge of a facility run by Suncor Energy but officials said the site is highly resistant to fire damage.
4 May 2016
Local DJ Chris Byrne was allowed back into Fort McMurray to check on the damage. He told BBC Newshour what he found. "Downtown for the most part is still for the most part intact, I think only one building was affected. "Where I live, in the north end of town, there really wasn't much damage. There are still people living there that just refused to evacuate. "The worst parts of the city are exactly how people imagined a wildfire going through a town would look like. "Complete blocks [are] levelled and charred and it looks like a horrific scene."
Canada wildfire: Alberta blaze threatens neighbouring province - BBC News
See also:
Canada wildfire explodes in size, evacuees urged to go to cities
Sunday 8th May, 2016 - A raging Canadian wildfire grew explosively on Saturday as hot, dry winds pushed the blaze across the energy heartland of Alberta and smoke forced the shutdown of a major oil sands project.
