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| Canada wildfire: Alberta declares emergency in Fort McMurray | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A state of emergency has been declared in the province of Alberta in Canada after a wildfire forced all 88,000 residents of Fort McMurray to flee. | A state of emergency has been declared in the province of Alberta in Canada after a wildfire forced all 88,000 residents of Fort McMurray to flee. |
| Officials warn that the fast-moving blaze could destroy much of the city and the next 24 hours will be crucial. | Officials warn that the fast-moving blaze could destroy much of the city and the next 24 hours will be crucial. |
| The fire, which broke out on Sunday, has gutted 1,600 structures in the city, including a new school. | |
| The evacuation was the largest in Alberta's history. Nearby oil companies have been forced to cut output. | The evacuation was the largest in Alberta's history. Nearby oil companies have been forced to cut output. |
| Several firms operating in Alberta's oil sands region have shut down some pipelines. This was done to help evacuate non-essential personnel, reports say. | |
| So far there have been no reports of deaths or injuries in the wildfire. | |
| First Nation communities 50km (30 miles) south of the city were given mandatory evacuation orders on Wednesday. | |
| In pictures - Fort McMurray's evacuation | In pictures - Fort McMurray's evacuation |
| 'It doesn't seem real' - eyewitness accounts | 'It doesn't seem real' - eyewitness accounts |
| At the scene: James Cook, BBC News, outside Fort McMurray | |
| The night sky above Fort McMurray is illuminated by a fierce orange glow as fires continue to burn to the north and to the south. | |
| Above the flat landscape of Alberta's famous oil sands is a towering plume of smoke; a giant pyrocumulus cloud so big that it resembles ash from an erupting volcano and has even generated its own lightning. | |
| As we drove north towards the city, hundreds of residents passed us, fleeing to the south, many towing trailers containing as many belongings as they could pack it. | |
| We also passed a fleet of yellow school buses, bound for the town of Anzac and its neighbouring communities, on a mission to rescue the latest people to be threatened by the fast-moving flames. | |
| Fort McMurray itself is sealed off to all but the emergency services but it is reportedly a scene of devastation. | |
| One police officer who lives and patrols in the city told the BBC that in his assessment around half of it had been destroyed. | |
| "You could hear the pop, pop, pop because of the propane tanks," resident Doug Sulliman, a former professional ice hockey player, told Associated Press. "The fire was just consuming these houses. It just destroyed the whole community." | |
| Bernie Schmitte, an official at Alberta's Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, said on Wednesday that the "catastrophic fire" had so far "resisted all suppression methods". | Bernie Schmitte, an official at Alberta's Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, said on Wednesday that the "catastrophic fire" had so far "resisted all suppression methods". |
| After flying over the burning city, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the blaze had moved north and east across Fort McMurray. | After flying over the burning city, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the blaze had moved north and east across Fort McMurray. |
| If the winds behaved as predicted, she added, the blaze would move into the Thickwood and Timberlea communities, as well as the area around the airport. | If the winds behaved as predicted, she added, the blaze would move into the Thickwood and Timberlea communities, as well as the area around the airport. |
| "Bad news does not get better with time," said Scott Long, executive director of Alberta's Emergency Management Agency. | "Bad news does not get better with time," said Scott Long, executive director of Alberta's Emergency Management Agency. |
| "It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," he added. | "It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," he added. |
| Officials said the size of the blaze was now more than 10,000 hectares (39 sq miles) and it was being tackled by 100 firefighters. | Officials said the size of the blaze was now more than 10,000 hectares (39 sq miles) and it was being tackled by 100 firefighters. |
| Fire services said high winds and hot temperatures were helping the blaze to spread over an even greater area. | Fire services said high winds and hot temperatures were helping the blaze to spread over an even greater area. |
| Ms Notley praised Albertans for helping neighbours in need. | Ms Notley praised Albertans for helping neighbours in need. |
| "We will get through this and we will come out stronger on the other side," she said. | "We will get through this and we will come out stronger on the other side," she said. |
| Unseasonably high temperatures and strong winds have combined with dry conditions to leave much of Alberta and neighbouring Saskatchewan under an extreme fire risk warning. | Unseasonably high temperatures and strong winds have combined with dry conditions to leave much of Alberta and neighbouring Saskatchewan under an extreme fire risk warning. |
| Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would send military aircraft to help if they were needed. | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would send military aircraft to help if they were needed. |
| Fort McMurray: Canada's 'manliest' city | Fort McMurray: Canada's 'manliest' city |
| On its tourism website, Fort McMurray describes itself as the "gateway to the north" - a region which is home to the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. | On its tourism website, Fort McMurray describes itself as the "gateway to the north" - a region which is home to the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. |
| It may be remote, but Fort McMurray's proximity to Canada's rich oil sands has helped it to become a hugely prosperous place, drawing oil workers from across the world. | It may be remote, but Fort McMurray's proximity to Canada's rich oil sands has helped it to become a hugely prosperous place, drawing oil workers from across the world. |
| It is not strictly speaking a city, but such has become Fort McMurray's importance in the region that it is commonly referred to as one. | It is not strictly speaking a city, but such has become Fort McMurray's importance in the region that it is commonly referred to as one. |
| Canada's National Post called Fort McMurray "Canada's manliest city" where men outnumber women by roughly three to two. | Canada's National Post called Fort McMurray "Canada's manliest city" where men outnumber women by roughly three to two. |
| Have you been affected by the wildfire? If it is safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you been affected by the wildfire? If it is safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |