There was some hope of good news for Albertans stranded north of Fort McMurray: officials are hoping to begin a ground evacuation from the north on Friday morning and briefly re-open the main highway through the city to let people drive south, according to Reuters.
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With helicopters overhead and police roadblocks at every turnoff on the road, the convoy will not stop until vehicles pass the mandatory evacuation zone, south of Fort McMurray, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman said.
About 1,500 vehicles are being led by Mounties and military helicopters. “I’m just grateful we’re alive, but it really sucks to have to keep on moving”, said evacuee Amber Castelli.
Starkey said that while domestic stockpiles of oil are not quite as high as a year ago, they are still “extreme” on a historical basis. All intersections along the route will be controlled and blocked by police, to ensure no vehicles try to slip away from the convoy. Patzert said the flames sparked at a time between the snowy season and before springtime rains that turn the landscape green, making the region especially vulnerable to wildfire.
“The government of Alberta is behind them”, the premier said after touring the evacuation operation.
The images of whole neighbourhoods in ruins are shocking but they will not surprise the people of Fort McMurray who fled knowing that their city was in danger of being consumed by fire.
Only the “Herculean” efforts of fire fighters saved the facility, says Scott Long of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
“We still have a few warm, hot burning dry days in front of us for sure.
The federal government will match individual donations as we all stand together, as Canadians do, for our friends and family”. “It is apparent that the damage to the community of Fort McMurray is extensive and the city is not safe for residents at this time”.
Fort McMurray resident Cameron Spring said wildfires caused by the above elements are common in the area.
“We’re still here, we’re still battling”, he said.
“This is a large fire … but the key issue is that we protect infrastructure and the community”.
“The beast is still up.it’s surrounded the city, and we’re here doing our very best for you”, he said.
Officials could not update the number of structures that have burned – already at 1,600 – saying crews had not had the time.
Morrison said four air tankers from Quebec will arrive Thursday and 100 firefighters are arriving from Ontario.
Other cities in B.C., Kelowna notably, have followed suit and if they haven’t, they should do so quickly.
Officials declined on Thursday to estimate how many more had been lost. “And that we will support you along the way”, she said at an evening news conference.
“I understand that the Albertans are scared, tired, and anxious about their homes and what the future holds for themselves and their families”, she added.
“Trust us that we have your backs”.
Wind-whipped flames roaring through forests and brush parched by a spring heat wave have engulfed almost 250,000 acres (101,000 hectares) in western Canada’s energy heartland since erupting on Sunday.
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Aided by high winds, scorching heat and low humidity, the fire grew from 75 square kilometers (29 square miles) Tuesday to 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) on Wednesday, but by Thursday it was nearly nine times that – at 850 square kilometers (328.2 square miles).
