Dongworth says this group will stay until Sunday, while a second crew will be ready to go, if needed, possibly on Saturday.
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Each month this year has been drier than average in Fort McMurray, and the city was 1.09 inches below average on precipitation for the January through April time period.
Regional Mayor Melissa Blake evoked 2011 wildfires that devastated the northern Alberta community of Slave Lake.
Officials say the fast-moving blaze could destroy much of the city.
Vicki Hutchison’s brother works at the Syncrude Site, 40 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.
Suncor Energy said it has reduced production and staffing levels at the Millennium and North Steepbank mines, its main oilsands project just north of Fort McMurray.
With a few neighborhoods already in ruins, worsening fire conditions Wednesday pushed walls of flames towards thousands of more homes in the northeastern Alberta town, in the heart of Canada’s oil sands region.
Wildfires have resulted in the largest fire-related evacuation in Alberta history with more than 70,000 individuals displaced due to evacuation orders, according to the Canadian Red Cross.
No injuries or deaths were reported.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said in a statement the “most effective” action for provincial residents is to make donations to the Red Cross.
Temperatures that soared to 32.6 Celsius (90.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday will drop to the low 20s C (60s F) on Thursday and Friday – giving firefighters a hand in combating the blaze, Jones said. The bulk of the evacuees fled south to Edmonton and elsewhere, and officials said they eventually would like to move everyone south.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the fire “absolutely devastating”.
The fire quickly expanded, with blazes forming in several places and thus forcing the city’s evacuation.
Jean, who leads the Wildrose Party, later told CTV’s Power Play he wants to focus on making sure that everyone leaves Fort McMurray immediately.
The wildfire that raged unchecked in Fort McMurray forced disruptions throughout much of Canada’s oil sands industry as major developers shut down some or all of their mining and extraction operations.
An overnight update from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said the Beacon Hill suburb in the south end has suffered the most damage from flames with 80 percent of the homes lost.
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“The whole subdivision is gone”, the longtime pilot and firefighter said. The remaining twenty percent is minable from the surface and predominantly located north of Fort McMurray.
