Alberta fire: Entire city of 80,000 made to evacuate : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

Alberta fire: Entire city of 80,000 made to evacuate

MONTREAL:A wildfire that raged out of control destroyed much of one neighbourhood in the remote western Canadian city of Fort McMurray and badly damaged others, the local government said on Wednesday, with all 80,000 residents ordered to leave in the biggest evacuation in the area''s history.

Alberta fire: Entire city of 80,000 made to evacuate

Students from Fort McMurray Composite School are released early as wildfire burns nearby in Alberta. Reuters



Montreal, May 4 

A wildfire that raged out of control destroyed much of one neighbourhood in the remote western Canadian city of Fort McMurray and badly damaged others, the local government said on Wednesday, with all 80,000 residents ordered to leave in the biggest evacuation in the area's history.

Firefighters in the city, located in the northeastern part of the province of Alberta in the heart of Canada's oil sands, braced for another tough day. Hot, dry weather has made it difficult to bring the fire under control.

By early on Wednesday morning, Shell had closed one oil sands mine and was in the process of closing another. Chief Financial Officer Simon Henry said the company's priority was safety and to support the community. Henry said upgraders, which process oil sands to produce crude, would operate for a few more days.

The regional government on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of all city residents, but getting out remained difficult. The route out of Fort McMurray was complicated by a highway closure caused by the fire, and gasoline shortages prevented some people from being able to drive away. Some 44,000 people had fled the city by late on Tuesday, local officials said. No injuries or deaths were reported.

The fire broke out southwest of the city on Sunday, then shifted with the wind to enter the city on Tuesday. A forecast of potential fire intensity showed much of the area at class 6, the highest possible level.

While oil sands facilities are not in the fire's path, the blaze is likely to disrupt operations. Many workers were under evacuation orders and some will likely lose their homes.

“The worst of the fire is not over. We're still faced with very high temperatures tomorrow, low relative humidity and some strong winds," Bernie Schmitte, an Alberta Forestry official, said.

Officials said their priority was protecting people and preserving key infrastructure, including the city's only bridge over the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route in and out of town. — Reuters

Top News

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Ansari was hospitalised after he complained of abdominal pai...

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

The bench refuses to comment on merits of the issue, saying ...

Arvind Kejriwal to be produced before Delhi court today as 6-day ED custody ends

Excise policy case: Delhi court extends ED custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1

In his submissions, Kejriwal said, ‘I am named by 4 witnesse...

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

MEA spokesperson says India is proud of its independent and ...

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Bhatt, who was sacked from the force in 2015, is already beh...


Cities

View All