Published: May 7,2016
The wildfire still raging near Fort McMurray, Alberta, has a high potential to double to half a million acres by the end of the day Saturday."Substantially extreme fire conditions" will persist for the next several days, Alberta fire manager Chad Morrison said in a press conference Friday evening. Firefighters expect the blaze to continue growing - to at least 500,000 acres - into a sparsely-populated forest area northeast of town.
Weather conditions will likely continue to make things difficult for the firefighters on the ground, weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said. The wind direction will be changing from East to West-Southwest Saturday afternoon, with gusts over 20 mph likely. With highs stretching into the 80s and humidity lowering to around 20 percent this afternoon, the fire is expected to continue raging.
"Fort McMurray has gone 10 straight days without any rain or snow, and has only .04 inch of precipitation since April 15," said Erdman. "We can't rule out a stray shower or snow shower Sunday into Wednesday or Thursday, but it won't likely be the kind of soaker most desperately needed to tamp down the flames."
(MORE: Why It's Called the #YMMfire and Other Questions Answered)
The fire grew more than 100,000 acres larger overnight Friday, and covered more than 385,000 acres as of Saturday morning, CBC News reported – a size larger than the city of Los Angeles. The flames had already burned structures in the neighboring town of Anzac, Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee said.
So far more than 80,000 people have been evacuated from Fort McMurray, where the flames have torched 1,600 homes and other buildings, the Associated Press reports.
In a press conference held Saturday, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said 7,000 people in 2,000 vehicles were convoyed out, CKNW reports. Notley also announced that the gas has been turned off in Fort McMurray and the power is out. The water has been declared undrinkable.
During the conference, Alberta Wildfire official Chad Morrison said 12 structures have been destroyed or damaged in Anzac, and that 40 other fires are burning in Alberta besides the inferno in Fort McMurray, CKNW also reports.
Sixty seniors and people with health issues were evacuated from Fort McKay Saturday due to heavy smoke, Morrison also said. Everyone in evacuation zones have been urged to leave the area.
Evacuees have found a place of refuge in Lac La Biche, Alberta, a small town of about 2,500 that has been providing them a place to sleep, food, donated clothing and even shelter for their pets, AP reports. The Bold Center, a sports facility in town, has tables piled with clothing, towels and other items and has been offering three free meals a day and other services, including mental health services.
Officials put a convoy of vehicles in motion Friday morning to move hundreds out of an area north of the city. The convoy was needed because some 25,000 people fled north of the city when mandatory evacuations were issued and became trapped due to a highway closure. Around 1,200 vehicles were able to move southward on Highway 63 Friday, Larivee said, even though officials had to halt evacuations for an hour due to heavy smoke on the highway.
"The reality is that we want to keep Highway 63 open and flowing as long as we can," said a Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson. "Our goal is to move all of the 25,000 evacuees in the north to the south."
#yymfire convoy evacuees streaming SB on Hwy 63 thru Wandering River - still a busy hub. More2come @CTVCalgary @ 6
The Alberta government said more than 1,100 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers were brought in to fight the destructive inferno.
Fort McMurray International Airport's main terminal appeared to escape damage Wednesday night, but CBC reported Thursday morning that several other airport buildings were destroyed. The airport was built just two years ago at a cost of $258 million ($200 million U.S.), according to CTV News Calgary.
A provincial state of emergency was declared by the Alberta government Wednesday evening as it became clear the raging fire showed no signs of weakening.
"This is a nasty, dirty fire," Fort McMurray Fire Chief Darby Allen told the AP. "There are certainly areas of the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them."
(MORE: 2015 Was a Record Wildfire Season for the U.S.)
Two deaths have been indirectly attributed to the wildfire. Emily Ryan, 15, and her stepmother's nephew, Aaron Hodgson, were killed during the evacuation Wednesday afternoon when their SUV hit a tractor-trailer, according to a CBC report. Ryan's father is a Wood Buffalo firefighter who was removed from active duty due to the tragedy, the report added.
A pic of what trying to leave Fort McMurray looks like right now
It has not yet been determined what caused the fire, but officials fear it was sparked by lightning because it started in a rural, wooded area.
According to Reuters, officials will use drones to investigate the cause of the blaze on Tuesday. The devices have been outfitted with cameras that have infrared, ultraviolet and traditional optical cameras to locate the hottest part of the fire and trace it to its source.
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