By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Ont. (AA) – A state of emergency has been declared in the province of Alberta after a wildfire forced the evacuation of 88,000 people and destroyed nearly 2,000 homes and buildings in Fort McMurray – home to Canada’s oil sands..
Almost 25,000 acres have burned.
Authorities said Wednesday that worse may come as winds are expected to pick up and the temperature reaching an unseasonable 30 C (86 F), with no forecasted rain.
Officials said it is likely the largest evacuation in Canadian history, with roads north and south out of the city jammed with bumper to bumper traffic as residents flee the flames.
“We expect it to be a worse fire day than yesterday [Tuesday], with the big issue being the winds gusting at 20 kilometers per hour [12 miles per hours],” said Chad Morrison, a senior manager with Alberta Wildfire Prevention and Enforcement. ‘With the dry conditions, firefighters will continue to be challenged all day,” he said during a press conference.
The trip south from Fort McMurray to the Alberta provincial capital of Edmonton usually takes about two hours but because of the traffic the length of time has grown to 10 hours. Many motorists ran out of gas and camped beside their vehicles with Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers bringing gas to the stranded drivers.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said an estimated 1,600 buildings have been destroyed. Residents fleeing south saw most of the city on fire.
Military help from the army and the Royal Canadian Air Force is on the way, as are an additional 70-80 firefighters to join the 150 already battling the blaze.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured residents that the federal government would help rebuild the city.
“While the full extent of the damage isn’t yet known, we certainly do know that for those who have been affected this fire is absolutely devastating,” he said at a press conference. “I want to say to the residents of Fort McMurray: Canadians are with you, our thoughts are with you, our prayers are with you. As prime minister, I want you to know that our government and all Canadians will stand by you and support you now and when it is time to rebuild.”
Wildfires are a constant hazard in Alberta, where much of the land is forested, but this is the largest conflagration anyone has faced.
The only good news from the disaster is that so far, officials believe there has been no fatalities.
