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| Fort McMurray fire: most of Canadian city evacuated as blaze engulfs homes | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nearly all of a northern Alberta city has been evacuated Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. | |
| All of the town of Fort McMurray, with the exception of Parson’s Creek, was under a mandatory evacuation order, according to Robin Smith, press secretary for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. They are being directed to evacuation centers north of the town. | |
| One evacuation center, in the center of town on an island on the Athabasca river, is already full, Smith said. No injuries have been reported, though homes in several neighborhoods have been destroyed. | |
| My harrowing drive evacuating #ymm praying for my friends pic.twitter.com/XGFWfavqR2 | |
| More than 100 provincial and municipal firefighters are attempting to hold back the blaze, Smith said. Helicopters and aircraft are being used to drop water and fire retardant, and bulldozers are being used to dig firebreaks. | |
| The main road into Fort McMurray was closed at the southern entrance to the city after flames jumped the road. | The main road into Fort McMurray was closed at the southern entrance to the city after flames jumped the road. |
| Russell Thomas, a resident and former municipal councillor, said that he had left the town around noon for work and things had looked “perfectly fine”. By the time he attempted to return, he said, it was “like the apocalypse”. Separated from his family, who were evacuating north, he turned back and fled south. | |
| Soon after he left the area, a gas station he had been near exploded. One hundred yards from the flames on the highway, he said, “the heat was intense because of the wind”. | |
| A local radio reporter said a trailer park that had been evacuated on Monday was on fire and flames were advancing toward businesses. | |
| “It’s chaos on the roads. People are panicking. It’s gridlock on the roads. Flames are right next to a gas station,” said Carina Van Heerde on radio station KAOS. | |
| Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads. | Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads. |
| Fort McMurray is the capital of Alberta’s oil sands region and has a population of 61,000, according to the 2011 census. | Fort McMurray is the capital of Alberta’s oil sands region and has a population of 61,000, according to the 2011 census. |
| I am at far south end of city. You can see fire all along 63 #ymmfire #cbc. pic.twitter.com/qvQAAJzmAS | |
| Crews had seemed to be making progress controlling the blaze, burning since the weekend, but the situation worsened quickly on Tuesday. By mid-afternoon people from three neighborhoods were told to leave immediately. | Crews had seemed to be making progress controlling the blaze, burning since the weekend, but the situation worsened quickly on Tuesday. By mid-afternoon people from three neighborhoods were told to leave immediately. |
| Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat is ranging from very high to extreme. | Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat is ranging from very high to extreme. |
| “The way things have gone in the last two days is, once night falls and the temperature drops, things slow down,” Smith said. “We have to stop at 9pm because of provincial regulations, so we’re pushing through until then.” | |
| The Alberta government banned all open fires except in designated camping sites in forested areas due to the threat. There were about 30 fires burning in the province. | The Alberta government banned all open fires except in designated camping sites in forested areas due to the threat. There were about 30 fires burning in the province. |
| The province was calling in more reinforcements to Fort McMurray, including 100 more firefighters and a giant helicopter that can dump more than 2,000 liters (500 gallons) of water at a time. | The province was calling in more reinforcements to Fort McMurray, including 100 more firefighters and a giant helicopter that can dump more than 2,000 liters (500 gallons) of water at a time. |
| Apocalyptic images coming out of the #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/EA0uptQqrN | Apocalyptic images coming out of the #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/EA0uptQqrN |