Alberta wildfire explodes across forests: 'in no way is this under control'

The devastating wildfire in northern Alberta could double in size by Sunday as officials frantically worked to evacuate thousands of people still trapped north of the oil city of Fort McMurray.

“In no way is this fire under control,” Rachel Notley, the premier of Alberta, said on Saturday, almost one week after the fire first ignited in a remote forested area of the province.

“The weather today is going to be significantly worse for fighting fires,” she added, pointing to the temperatures upwards of 82F (28C) and winds gusting up to 25mph (40kmh). “Officials tell us the fire may double in size in the forested areas today. As well, it may actually reach the Saskatchewan border.”

The size of the fire was estimated at 156,000 hectares (385,000 acres) on Saturday but could reach as much as 300,000 hectares by Sunday, officials said.

The fire’s spectacular growth, combined with volatile winds and a heavy layer of smoke hanging over the area have challenged authorities as they seek to move evacuees south of Fort McMurray, far from the path of the fire, and into the province’s major cities where more extensive support services are available. Officials have warned that the blaze could continue to burn for weeks.

More than 80,000 residents were ordered to leave Fort McMurray, in the heart of Alberta’s oilsands region, on Tuesday after shifting winds transformed the blaze from one that was largely in control to a “multi-headed monster” inferno, in the words of the local mayor.

As reports emerged in recent days of a small number of residents still in the city, Notley reminded them of the mandatory evacuation order.

Officials said fire crews and air tankers from across Canada are being sent to the area to help relieve exhausted workers. - Read More at the Guardian
Alberta wildfire explodes across forests: 'in no way is this under control'

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