Evacuation order issued as wildfire threatening Fort McMurray draws closer
CBC
Thousands of residents in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo have been ordered to leave their homes as a wildfire burning southwest of Fort McMurray continues to draw closer to the community.
Several communities in Fort McMurray are being evacuated to make way for firefighters. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued the evacuation order Tuesday afternoon after declaring a state of local emergency.
The evacuation order is in effect for the neighbourhoods of Beacon Hill, Abasand, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace.
A wildfire threatening the community has now consumed more than 9,600 hectares as shifting winds and rising temperatures continue to accelerate its growth and push the flames closer to the municipality.
All residents in the evacuation zone must leave the area by 4 p.m. MT, the municipality said. About 6,000 people have been ordered to leave.
Local roads and highways were choked with vehicles Tuesday afternoon as residents fled south.
People who are unable to evacuate themselves are being asked to report to designated muster points, where transit buses will be on standby to bring evacuees and their pets to safety.
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Josee St-Onge, a spokesperson with Alberta Wildfire, said the fire has grown since it was last measured and has continued to advance toward the community.
The fire is now around 8 kilometres from the landfill on the southern outskirts of Fort McMurray, she said. The scale and intensity of the fire has made it difficult to track and to manage.
"We're seeing extreme fire behaviour," she said. "Smoke columns are developing and the skies are covered in smoke. Firefighters have been pulled from the fire line for safety reasons."
Winds are blowing from the southwest, gusting up to 40 kilometres per hour. The fire will continue to grow toward the community until those winds shift, she said.
"Unfortunately, these are not favourable winds for us and the fire will continue to advance towards the town until we see a wind shift," she said.
"We understand that this is a very stressful time for the community. I want to assure everyone that we are doing everything we can."
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