Entire Canadian Town Flees Wildfire
May 5, 2016
A small plane flies through the smoke above Fort McMurray, Alberta, on May 3, 2016. Local government evacuated the entire population of the Canadian oil sands city as a wildfire whipped by high winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. Credit: © Kitty Cochrane, The Canadian Press/AP Photos
A wildfire that began burning on Sunday, May 1, in Alberta, Canada, forced the evacuation of an entire town, Fort McMurray. The fire broke out during record-high temperatures—in the 90′s °F (30′s °C)—and low humidity for this time of year in this area of Canada. By May 2, around 7,500 acres (3,000 hectares) of forested area was burning and, on May 3, the fire turned toward Fort McMurray. In anticipation, the town, home to over 60,000 people, had been evacuated the night before. Fort McMurray is surrounded on all sides by forest and the fire laid waste to nearly the entire town by May 4. Nearby areas—including the Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates, and Fort McMurray First Nation communities—were evacuated as the fire spread south. The Canadian government estimates a total of nearly 90,000 people have been displaced.
The Fort McMurray area, in the Athabasca tar sands region, is a dangerous place for wildfires. The area is home to recovery plants (similar to refineries) for oil extracted from the sands. The recovery plants are filled with flammable oil and chemicals. The fire has stopped oil production in much of Canada’s energy region.
About 18,000 acres (7,200 hectares) of forest have burned. Firefighters hope that cooler temperatures today (the forecast temperature is 66 °F [19 °C]) will make it easier to bring the fire under control.
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