By Brian Lada, Meteorologist
May 4,2016; 9:00PM,EDT
The fire initially started on Sunday but grew rapidly, eventually making its way into Fort McMurray, about 430 kilometers (270 miles) north of Edmonton.
The Canadian province of Alberta declared a state of emergency on Wednesday afternoon in response to the blaze. The fire was the largest of three wildfires burning on Wednesday in the province.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for all of Fort McMurray on Tuesday before the blaze moved into the city. According to the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo, over 88,000 people were evacuated successfully.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said during a news conference Tuesday that this is the largest evacuation in the history of the province.
On Wednesday, she tweeted that there have been no reports of fatalities or injuries.
Travel into the city should only be conducted if essential, government officials said. The Fort McMurray International Airport was closed Wednesday.
Significant structural damage has been reported, with officials estimating that 1,600 structures have been lost. Many homes have been destroyed throughout the town. As of early Wednesday afternoon, 90 percent of the homes in the Waterways neighborhood were lost, officials said.
Firefighters from regions all over Alberta are working to battle the blaze with approximately 250 firefighters are on hand. Emergency responders are also utilizing heavy equipment to attack the fire from the air, with 12 helicopters and nine air tankers engaged in suppression efforts.
Fourteen Alberta municipalities were assisting with the firefighting operations, the Canadian Broadcasting System reported.
The volume of people evacuating led to congestion on roadways. Long lines formed at gas stations as people stopped to fill up their vehicles before escaping to safety.
As of Wednesday evening, the blaze has burned at least 10,000 hectares (39 square miles) and continues to grow, according to the CBC.
Flames approach a shopping center in Fort McMurray, Alberta. (Twitter photo/@SidlySquidly)A combination of afternoon temperatures reaching 32 C (91 F) with a relative humidity of 15 percent aided the advance of the fire, AccuWeather Canadian Weather Expert Brett Anderson said.
"A cold front will come through the area [Wednesday night], but rainfall will be sparse with just the chance of a shower or thunderstorm," Anderson added.
A record high was recorded in Fort McMurray on Wednesday. The temperatures of 88 F (31 C) broke the previous high of 82 F (28 C) set back in 1992. The relative humidity was 13 percent when the highest temperature was recorded.
High winds also proved problematic on Wednesday. Wind gusts of 20-30 mph (32-48 km/h) were frequent with the highest gust recorded at 35 mph (56 km/h).
RELATED:
Detailed Fort McMurray forecast
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"The good news is that temperatures will be noticeably cooler Thursday with higher humidity levels. The wind direction Thursday afternoon will be from a more WNW direction," Anderson continued.
The lower temperatures and higher humidity should help firefighters battle the blaze and get it under control.
However, Anderson did warn that extreme temperatures will return to northeast Alberta this weekend before a more substantial cooldown takes place next week.
The smoke from the wildfire has also created poor air quality across the region. People with respiratory issues are encouraged to stay alert and minimize their exposure to the smoky air.
A picture of the wildfire on Sunday shortly after it started. (Photo/Alberta Wildfire)
Hey Canada- let's make sure you have Fort McMurray in your thoughts right now. #yeg #ymmfire #ymm #wildfire
Scene at #ymm mall downtown. They were just told to shut doors & let ppl go home to get ready for poss evac. #cbc
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