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.

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