A giant fireball is visible as a wildfire rips through the forest by Highway 63, 16 kilometres south of Fort McMurray, Alta on Saturday, May 7, 2016.
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“We expect to hold this fire over the weekend especially given the cooler temperatures, Morrison told a news conference”.
The fire’s footprint now exceeds the total area burned during Alberta’s entire 2015 fire season, and flames spread on Thursday into the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan, though no evacuations were ordered there so far.
“If those resources are exhausted, we will work through worldwide partnerships to bring in the certified, qualified, highly trained and experienced firefighters from other jurisdictions used to working with these extreme fire conditions”, he said. “By taking action now, we can minimize costs to taxpayers and better equip homeowners for the risks and challenges that lie ahead”.
Morrison said the province plans to bring in 1,000 firefighters over the next two weeks, adding to 1,100 already on the ground.
The weather, which included winds pushing flames away from key oil sands assets, offered hope for crude operations with Statoil saying on Friday its Leismer project was producing 13,000 bpd, up from 9,000 bpd two days prior.
A ConocoPhillips Canada spokesman said the company was “cautiously optimistic” but gave no time frame on restarting operations. By May 9, more than 1 million barrels of daily oil output had been halted.
“The threat has diminished around the community and the oil-sands facilities for sure”, Morrison said at a briefing with reporters. More success in keeping the flames at bay and improved air quality are needed before the government will allow workers to return to facilities including some of Suncor Energy Inc. and Syncrude Canada Ltd.’s mines north of Fort McMurray.
“The rain has been falling, and we pray to God [the fire] doesn’t come back toward the city”, Mr Murad said.
However she cautioned that the levels could wildly fluctuate some more so those who want to return to Fort McMurray should monitor the situation.
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Black bears have wandered into the town in greater numbers since the wildfire forced residents from the area earlier this month, leaving behind trash cans, dumpsters, and even thawing freezers rife with food, authorities said.
