A wildfire that has forced thousands of people out of their homes in Canada’s oil sands hub city of Fort McMurray, Alberta is being held in place as rain and cooler temperatures sweep through the area. Alberta Wildfire information officer Christie Tucker says the blaze remained out of control — the only such designated fire in the province — but it did not grow overnight and remained at 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) in size. Tucker said at a news conference: “We’re seeing rain and cooler temperatures in much of the province this week, but unfortunately the northern part of the province is expected to stay drier and warmer."
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Tyler Keen, of Fire & Flood Emergency Service Ltd., mans a pumping station for wildfire suppression water cannons along highway 63 near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Derek Somerville, wildfire specialist with Fire & Flood Emergency Service Ltd., checks a wildfire suppression water cannon along highway 881 near Fort McMurray, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian officials say favorable winds are expected to push an “out of control” wildfire away from Canada’s oil sands hub of Fort McMurray, Alberta, a day after thousands were evacuated. Wildfire season has started early in Canada this year with several fires burning across the country’s west, forcing residents out of their homes. The fire, which started last week, caused about 6,600 residents to flee parts of the southern end of Fort McMurray. The rest of the city remains on evacuation alert Wednesday and many others self-evacuated though they weren’t ordered to leave. In 2016, Fort McMurray suffered a devastating blaze that destroyed 2,400 homes and forced more than 80,000 people to flee.
Burned trees from the 2016 wildfire stand sentinel over a neighbourhood in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
Traffic moves along Alberta Highway 63 as wildfire smoke hangs in air in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
Police vehicles control access to the evacuated neighbourhood of Beacon Hill in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
Burned trees from the 2016 wildfire stand sentinel over a neighbourhood in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
A pumper truck sprays fire retardant on trees around the evacuated neighborhood of Beacon Hill in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
A pumper truck sprays fire retardant on trees around the evacuated neighborhood of Beacon Hill in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
