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| Alberta wildfire intensifies as evacuees forced to retrace their steps | Alberta wildfire intensifies as evacuees forced to retrace their steps |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A raging wildfire that forced the evacuation of the Alberta oil town of Fort McMurray intensified on Saturday, helped by hot and dry weather. Police escorted a fresh convoy of evacuees out of the region. | A raging wildfire that forced the evacuation of the Alberta oil town of Fort McMurray intensified on Saturday, helped by hot and dry weather. Police escorted a fresh convoy of evacuees out of the region. |
| Related: 'It's just charred earth': DJ returns to wildfire-hit ruins of Fort McMurray | Related: 'It's just charred earth': DJ returns to wildfire-hit ruins of Fort McMurray |
| The blaze, the largest of some 40 wildfires burning across the Canadian province, has forced the entire 88,000 population of Fort McMurray to flee for safety. | The blaze, the largest of some 40 wildfires burning across the Canadian province, has forced the entire 88,000 population of Fort McMurray to flee for safety. |
| The weather, with temperatures on Saturday expected to rise as high as 28C (82.4F), was hindering efforts to fight the wildfire, said Matthew Anderson, a wildfire information official with the Alberta government. | The weather, with temperatures on Saturday expected to rise as high as 28C (82.4F), was hindering efforts to fight the wildfire, said Matthew Anderson, a wildfire information official with the Alberta government. |
| “It’s going to be a very extreme fire hazard kind of day,” he told CBC News. “Today will certainly be a very, very challenging day and the [fire’s] growth potential is quite large.” | “It’s going to be a very extreme fire hazard kind of day,” he told CBC News. “Today will certainly be a very, very challenging day and the [fire’s] growth potential is quite large.” |
| Earlier in the week, most evacuees headed south by car on Alberta Highway 63, the only land route out of the area, in a slow-moving exodus that left many temporarily stranded on the roadside as they ran out of fuel. | Earlier in the week, most evacuees headed south by car on Alberta Highway 63, the only land route out of the area, in a slow-moving exodus that left many temporarily stranded on the roadside as they ran out of fuel. |
| Other residents who initially sought shelter in oil camps and settlements north of the city found themselves cut off and in overcrowded conditions. They were forced on Friday to retrace their route back through Fort McMurray on Highway 63 as flames continued to spread. | Other residents who initially sought shelter in oil camps and settlements north of the city found themselves cut off and in overcrowded conditions. They were forced on Friday to retrace their route back through Fort McMurray on Highway 63 as flames continued to spread. |
| Television footage showed the first convoys of about 20 vehicles getting under way around 6am local time, even as smoke from fires filled the sky. | Television footage showed the first convoys of about 20 vehicles getting under way around 6am local time, even as smoke from fires filled the sky. |
| The convoys on Friday moved about 2,500 vehicles of evacuees with 7,500 people south, according to a tweet from the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo. | The convoys on Friday moved about 2,500 vehicles of evacuees with 7,500 people south, according to a tweet from the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo. |
| The northbound lanes of Highways 63 and 881 toward Fort McMurray were restricted and parts of Highway 881, the only road in and out of some evacuated communities south of the city, remained closed, Alberta’s government said on Twitter. | The northbound lanes of Highways 63 and 881 toward Fort McMurray were restricted and parts of Highway 881, the only road in and out of some evacuated communities south of the city, remained closed, Alberta’s government said on Twitter. |
| Related: There’s more to Fort McMurray than oil sands – it’s a real community | Aritha van Herk | Related: There’s more to Fort McMurray than oil sands – it’s a real community | Aritha van Herk |
| Royal Canadian mounted police sergeant John Spaans told CBC authorities were not certain how many were still left to travel south. | Royal Canadian mounted police sergeant John Spaans told CBC authorities were not certain how many were still left to travel south. |
| The full extent of property losses in Fort McMurray has yet to be determined, but authorities said about 1,600 structures were believed to have been destroyed. One analyst estimated insurance losses could exceed C$9bn ($7bn). | The full extent of property losses in Fort McMurray has yet to be determined, but authorities said about 1,600 structures were believed to have been destroyed. One analyst estimated insurance losses could exceed C$9bn ($7bn). |
| Entire neighborhoods were reduced to ruins, but most evacuees fled without knowing the fate of their own homes. The majority got away with few possessions, some forced to leave pets behind. | Entire neighborhoods were reduced to ruins, but most evacuees fled without knowing the fate of their own homes. The majority got away with few possessions, some forced to leave pets behind. |
| At least 10 oil sand operators have cut production due to evacuations and other emergency measures that complicated delivery of petroleum by rail, pipeline and highway. | At least 10 oil sand operators have cut production due to evacuations and other emergency measures that complicated delivery of petroleum by rail, pipeline and highway. |
| About half of Canada’s oil sands production capacity has been taken offline by the conflagration, according to a Reuters estimate. | About half of Canada’s oil sands production capacity has been taken offline by the conflagration, according to a Reuters estimate. |
| Syncrude, one of the world’s largest producers of synthetic crude oil from the oil sands, said on Saturday it was shutting down its northern mines and upgrader operations and evacuating all personnel from the area, amid concerns about smoke. | |
| The company said its facilities were not facing any imminent threat of fire. |