Fort McMurray Wildfire Forces Evacuation Of City


https://rumble.com/embed/vcc5h/

Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, is ablaze, forcing the evacuation of the entire city.

Fort McMurray, which has a population 61,374 as of the 2011 Canadian census, is under mandatory evacuation as a wildfire continues to burn out of control. The blaze began Sunday afternoon, quickly consuming nearly 1,285 hectares (3,175 acres) in its first day and quickly blooming to some 2,600 hectares (nearly 6,425 acres) by early Wednesday. The Fort McMurray fire situation has forced the evacuation of 53,000 residents, and while some have headed north to try and find refuge in camps, many have headed south to areas such as Edmonton, Lac La Biche and Anzac, according to Global News.

Smoke has gotten so thick in the area that sunshine has not been able to break through, and Highway 63 out of Fort McMurray is continuing to be busy as a result of the mandatory evacuation order.

According to the Globe and Mail, some Canadian gas and oil companies are also cutting production in the wake of the disaster in order to allow employees to get their families to safety. Temperatures are expected to hit 32 C (89.6 F) in Fort McMurray today, and with winds hovering even as lightly as they are currently, the blaze could continue to cause problems for firefighters involved in containing the blaze.

Robin Smith, the spokesman for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the region in which Fort McMurray resides, said in an interview that “across the board, there is incredible support from our industry partners,” with regards to helping those affected by the blaze.

Fort McMurray’s hospital, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, was evacuated Tuesday night as the blaze approached, according to CBC News. A temperature inversion turned the Fort McMurray fire into one that seemed in control to one that fire chief called a “nasty, ugly” inferno.

Surprisingly, there have been no major injuries associated with the blaze, although some neighborhoods are reporting up to an 80 percent loss of homes. Critical infrastructure also remains intact, including the waste water plant, the water treatment plant, and the Grant MacEwan Bridge.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said from Germany that the Department of National Defence is prepared to make all their assets available, and now, there are some reports that Fort McMurray has also run out of fuel.

The evacuation of Fort McMurray marks the largest evacuation seen to date in a Canadian town, even surpassing the Slave Lake, Alberta, fire from five years ago.

Some are mourning the loss of their homes, and for some residents, these are homes they have known since childhood.

Efforts are currently focused on ensuring that evacuees have gotten out of town safely and that medical needs are being tended to. Some in the area, such as those with Ledcor Group, have given up their rooms to those evacuees needing shelter. The Department of National Defence might offer such services as airlift and transportation services in order to effectively help those responding to the Fort McMurray blaze.

Amanda Stano, who originally hails from Toronto, told media that “It’s similar to driving in Toronto on the [Highway] 401 at six o’clock — except you’re surrounded by flames, and you can’t really see anything, and you don’t want to roll down your window because you can’t breathe.”

Alberta Forestry spokesperson Bernie Schmitte described the Fort McMurray blaze as “very explosive conditions,” noting that “the fire behaviour was beyond all control efforts,” he said. “The worst of the fire is not over.”

Efforts to contain the Fort McMurray blaze continue.

[Photo by Ian Willms/Getty Images]

Share this article: Fort McMurray Wildfire Forces Evacuation Of City
More from Inquisitr