Fort McMurray: Thousands of residents of Fort McMurray, a city in Canada’s main oil-producing region, have fled as an out-of-control fire approaches and fills the sky with thick smoke.
Winds of up to 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour) advanced within 13 kilometers of the town in western Alberta in 2016, burning nearly 9,600 hectares of forest and sparking a wildfire – one of the largest in the nation’s history.
Four counties were ordered to be evacuated, and by mid-afternoon highways in the south were jammed with cars and trucks fleeing for safety against a backdrop of black smoke billowing in the distance.
Resident Ashley Russell is packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice as other towns are on high alert. My place burned down in 2016, so I’m relieved,” he said.
“We’re seeing extreme fire behavior,” Alberta Wildfire spokesman Jose St-Onge said at a news conference.
“Pillars of smoke are rising and the sky is covered with smoke,” he said.
Officials say the fire has grown significantly in many areas since Monday.
However, area fire chief Jody Butz said residents are stepping back to slow the progress of the water bombs as crews prepare to clear winter brush and rebuild firebreaks.
“We believe we have the means to protect this area, but we need people unharmed.”
