Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Whole neighbourhoods burned to the ground in Canadian wildfire

The fire is expected to burn for months.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP / The Canadian Press via AP

THE IMAGES ARE ones of devastation — scorched homes, virtually whole neighbourhoods burned to the ground. And Canadian officials say they expect to fight the massive wildfire that has destroyed large parts of Alberta’s oil sands town for months.

There’s fear the growing wildfire could double in size and reach a major oil sands mine and even the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan.

The Alberta government said the massive blaze in the province will cover more than 200,000 hectares (494,211 acres) by Sunday and continue to grow because of high temperatures, dry conditions and high winds. Chad Morrison of Alberta Wildfire said it’s not uncommon to fight such an inferno in forested areas for months.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP / The Canadian Press via AP

“In no way is this fire under control,” Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said.

Displaced

Officials had hoped to complete the mass evacuation of work camps north of Fort McMurray on Saturday.

Thousands of displaced residents got a drive-by view of some of the burned-out neighbourhoods as convoys continued. No deaths or injuries have been reported since the fire started last Sunday.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP / The Canadian Press via AP

Notley said about 12,000 evacuees have been airlifted from oil sands mine air fields over the past two days, and about 7,000 have left in highway convoys escorted by police. She said the goal was to complete the evacuation from northern work camps by Sunday.

The fire could reach the edges of the Suncor oil sands facility, about 15 miles north of Fort McMurray. Non-essential staff have been evacuating and efforts to protect the site were underway.

Notley, however, said that the facility was highly resilient to forest fires. Oil sands mines are cleared and have no vegetation.

Price of oil

Morrison said the fire wasn’t expected to reach the oil sands mines north of Suncor.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP / The Canadian Press via AP

The fire and mass evacuation has forced a quarter or more of Canada’s oil output offline and was expected to impact an economy already hurt by the fall in the price of oil.

The Alberta oil sands have the third-largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Its workers largely live in Fort McMurray where some neighbourhoods have been destroyed.

Police said many parts of smoke-filled Fort McMurray are burnt and visibility is low. Officers wore masks as they checked homes to make sure everyone was out.

Fighting the fire

More than 80,000 people have left Fort McMurray in the heart of Canada’ oil sands, where the fire has torched 1,600 homes and other buildings.

Gas has been turned off, the power grid is damaged and water is not drinkable. Officials said there is no timeline to return residents to the city, but the Alberta government has begun preliminary planning, though it stresses fighting the fire is still the first priority.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP / The Canadian Press via AP

About 25,000 evacuees moved north in the hours after Tuesday’s mandatory evacuation, where oil sands work camps that usually house employees were used to house evacuees. Officials are moving everyone south where it is safer.

Syncrude, a major oil sands mining company, also shut down operations and evacuated. The company said in a statement that while there is no imminent threat from fire, smoke has reached its Mildred Lake site. They intend to have all personnel out this weekend and started the evacuation early Saturday.

Significant rainfall

Morrison of Alberta Wildfires said the fire was burning away from communities. He said cooler temperatures were expected Sunday and over the next week. “We feel that it will hold there if we get some cooler conditions over the next two or three days,” he said.

They could get rainfall Sunday, but significant rainfall is needed.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP / The Canadian Press via AP

The 200,000 hectares (494,211 acres) includes burned areas and those areas still in flames. The fire started last Sunday and has destroyed about than 2,000 square kilometres (772 miles) of northern Alberta forest.

Lac La Biche, Alberta, normally a sleepy town of 2,500 about 175 kilometres south of Fort McMurray, was helping thousands of evacuees, providing a place to sleep, food, donated clothes and even shelter for their pets.

Free meals

Jihad Moghrabi, a spokesman for Lac La Biche County, said that 4,400 evacuees have come through The Bold Center, a sports facility in town. At the centre, tables were piled with clothes, towels and other items. The centre was offering three free meals a day and other services, including mental health services. A kennel housed people’s pets on site.

Philip Wylie, wife Suda and 13-month-old daughter Phaedra, were among those staying at the centre after evacuating their apartment in Fort McMurray on Tuesday.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP / The Canadian Press via AP

“Trees were blowing up against our vehicles,” Philip Wylie said of the caravan drive out of town. “We don’t know what we’re going to go back to, or when we can go back.”

Nicole Cormier, a photographer from Fort McMurray, is staying with family in Lac La Biche but brings neighbours that she evacuated with to the centre every day for services

She showed cell phone photos she shot from her backyard of the advancing fire, and photos of flames on the side of the road while they were evacuating.

Cormier said she checks the security doorbell camera on her house several times a day just to see if it’s standing. For now, it is.

“It’s weird, you feel a big sigh of relief, but you feel totally guilty because of what others have lost,” she said.

Read: Massive Alberta wildfire could double in size today>

Read: The huge wildfire in Canada has grown more than ten times in size>

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
15 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sandra Corbett
    Favourite Sandra Corbett
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 2:54 PM

    I’m from Cork. I’ve lived in Fort McMurray for almost 20 years. We got out safely on Tuesday and 2 of my kids who’d first been evacuated to the north got out on Wednesday. Fort McMurray has a large Irish community, many who had moved elsewhere in Alberta over the years. They’re the ones who’ve taken us into their homes and are helping us. People have been amazing with their generosity. We have no idea when we can go back and can only watch and wait.

    236
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Somers
    Favourite Paul Somers
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 3:41 PM

    Wishing you a speedy return home, the Irish dispora in Alberta will be there to help you rebuild.

    89
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick J O'CONNOR
    Favourite Patrick J O'CONNOR
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 5:31 PM

    @Sandra Corbett……..This is a huge tragedy and will be tough for all affected.But as you are finding out Albertans and Canadians care and will be there ’til this gets back to normal. I’m glad you are safely away from the danger. In case you or someone you know are unawares below is the FB help guide.
    —”An open-source Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Fort-McMurray-Evacuee-Open-Source-Help-Page-1542379816069211/ has been set up to help evacuees with information and resources. People have been using the page to assist evacuees with any items and shelter they might be able to offer. —”

    30
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Notthatguy
    Favourite Notthatguy
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 9:47 PM

    Make sure you have proof of address anywhere you go, offers are made to those affected, many stores, Walmarts and so on….

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shaun Gallagher
    Favourite Shaun Gallagher
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 1:02 PM

    We have little to be giving out about.

    193
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Somers
    Favourite Paul Somers
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 1:18 PM

    God help them – horrible to loose everything.

    187
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Padraig
    Favourite Padraig
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 1:23 PM

    Has anyone asked DHR if he think that God is punishing Alberta.

    62
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute KM TON
    Favourite KM TON
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 4:08 PM

    Go away Padraig

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Deborah Behan
    Favourite Deborah Behan
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 2:36 PM

    I hope they get rain and soon.

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick O Shea
    Favourite Patrick O Shea
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 8:08 PM

    How are the gas fracking fields doing in the middle of this inferno?

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip O'Beachain
    Favourite Philip O'Beachain
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 8:42 PM

    Most are north of the town and looks likely the fire will miss them. However, most of them have shut down production for safety. This means that on top of the 80,000 evacuated many people who travel to the area for work now have a shortage of work until the foreseeable future.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sandra Corbett
    Favourite Sandra Corbett
    Report
    May 9th 2016, 1:39 PM

    Mines around Fort Mac don’t use fracking method

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin
    Favourite Eoin
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 5:26 PM

    That’s what insurance is for

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ronan McDermott
    Favourite Ronan McDermott
    Report
    May 8th 2016, 9:29 PM

    That takes time you idiot. This is a very serious situation over here.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Little Diddy No
    Favourite Little Diddy No
    Report
    May 9th 2016, 10:58 AM

    A tragedy for all involved – but the seriousness of these and many other wildfires is linked to climate change so we can expect these kinds of events to keep getting even worse all over the world sadly: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/06/opinions/sutter-canada-wildfire-climate/

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds