City officials and residents are hoping the weather will continue to cooperate.
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Canada’s oil output has been greatly hampered by the mass evacuations – roughly 18,000 people from the oil sands mines of Fort McMurray have been airlifted out or transported by police-escorted convoys. Officials say it could have been sparked by someone who discarded a cigarette or it could have been a camp fire gone wrong.
A wildfire ripping through Canada’s oil sands region blazed for a seventh day on Sunday as officials warned nearly 100,000 people who fled the area that they would not be returning home soon. Nonessential staff have been evacuating and efforts to protect the site were underway.
“We can really get in there and really get a handle on this fire and really get a death grip on it”, said Morrison.
The wildfire scorching through Canada’s oil sands region in northeast Alberta had been expected to double in size, but light rains and cooler temperatures held it back.
The Alberta oil sands are a vital part of the regional economy.
“I toured probably every neighbourhood in Fort McMurray and 80% of the homes are standing”.
Jonathan Hayward/AP A wildfire burns south of Fort McMurray, Alberta, near Highway 63.
“Crews will assess the damage as well as checking on infrastructure such as natural gas lines and the electrical power grid”.
“This city was surrounded by an ocean of fire only a few days ago but Fort McMurray and the surrounding communities have been saved and they will be rebuilt”, Notley said. Multiple oil sands mining companies have shut down operations. As well they may actually reach the Saskatchewan border.
Cooler temperatures around 10 C were expected through to Friday after last week’s record heat.
They could get rainfall on Sunday but a significant amount is needed.
The fire’s eastern edge was still 40 kilometres Saskatchewan and estimates of the area destroyed have been lowered from 2,000 square kilometres to about 1,600.
However, thousands of people lost their homes.
Jihad Moghrabi, a spokesman for Lac La Biche County, said 4,400 evacuees came through The Bold Centre sports venue. At the center, tables were piled with clothes, towels and other items. A kennel housed people’s pets on site.
“Trees were blowing up against our vehicles”, Mr Wylie said of the caravan drive out of town. “There will be a lot of work in the cleanup, ‘ he said”. Then, in a matter of hours, she said she opened the blinds and “the sky was orange”.
“Public safety is our number-one priority, and residents won’t be able to return home until it is safe to do so”, the administration said in a post on its emergency updates webpage. Ms Notley said there would be a meeting with the energy industry on Tuesday.
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Alberta’s government estimated yesterday that the fire had consumed 161,000 hectares (395,000 acres).
