60,000 flee as wildfire leaps highway and into city
A huge wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta., destroyed an entire neighbourhood and burned homes and businesses in several others Tuesday, and continues to rage out of control.
By late afternoon, the entire city of 60,000 had been ordered evacuated. Residents by the thousands fled the fire and for hours caused gridlock on Highway 63, even overwhelming oilsands work camps, where beds and meals were offered. Police were patrolling the highway with cans of gas, after fuel supplies ran out in Fort McMurray, Wandering River and Grasslands.
Fire chief Darby Allen said the entire neighbourhood of Beacon Hill "appears to have been lost" and the fire burned many homes in other parts of the city.
No buildings were lost in the city's downtown area, Allen said. Despite the devastation, there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries.
As of 10:30 p.m. MT, officials reported the neighbourhoods of Abasand, Wood Buffalo, Dickensfield, and Waterways saw only some damage.
No estimates were available on the number of homes and businesses that were destroyed.
Witnesses reported the Flying-J gas station exploded, while the Super 8 Motel and a Denny's restaurant were gutted.
Officials said about 17,000 residents escaped the city to the north, while another 35,000 drove south, at least half that number headed for Edmonton, 430 kilometres away.
Gas stations were emptied of fuel along the way leaving many motorists stranded on the highway.
Fire officials said they expect Wednesday could be just as bad, with the wind expected to pick up and the hot, dry weather to continue.
Allen called Tuesday "a devastating day," and said fire crews were simply overwhelmed by the speed and power of the wildfire.
"Everybody has given everything today to do the very best they could," Allen said. "I can categorically state that everything that was absolutely possible to protect the community was done."
Conditions changed quickly
Conditions on the ground changed quickly as the day progressed.
Allen said firefighters were "a little worried" earlier in the day, but with the 30 C heat and dry conditions, once the wind came up the fire became an inferno.
"It's been the worst day of my career," Allen said earlier. "It's a nasty, ugly fire and it hasn't shown any forgiveness."
By 6:30 p.m., the entire city was under a mandatory evacuation order, making it the largest wildfire evacuation in the province's history, far surpassing the Slave Lake fire that made international headlines five years ago.
Courtesy: http://www.cbc.ca
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