to fuel the raging wildfire. Highways out of town were packed as people rushed to get out. Gas stations ran out of gas as people filled up for the lang trek to safer areas including Edmonton over 500 km to the south

Flames viewed from the Sawridge Motel in Fort McMurray on Tuesday. Fire officials expect another day of high temperatures and strong winds today which are likely to fuel the raging wildfire. Highways out of town were packed as people rushed to get out. Gas stations in the region ran out of fuel as people filled up for the lang trek to safer areas including Edmonton over 500 km to the south
Photo Credit: Terry Reith/CBC

Huge wild fire inferno, massive evacuation- Alberta town

It is the largest emergency evacuation in Alberta history.

Record breaking heat and no rain in the past few weeks have left forests and grasses in the prairie provinces tinder dry.

An image of the fire Tuesday as it burned into the town.
An image of the fire Tuesday as it burned into the town. © Terry Reith/CBC

With temperatures hovering around 30 degrees C, and aided by winds with gusts of about 30km/h a small fire on the weekend near the city of Fort McMurray and which had been listed as under control. suddenly raged out of control and pushed toward the town.

May 2nd image ’We don’t want to leave too early if not needed but we are ready to go. My husband is stuck at work trying to get home,’ said Mindy Francis, a photographer who lives in the city
May 2 image showing flames approaching a neighbourhood. Reports are that several neighbourhoods in the city have been lost to the flames © Mindy Francis/Facebook

Thousands fled on highways flanked on both sides by raging flames. Today highways 63 and 881 northbound have been closed.  To the north, many of the oil camps have opened space for the 17,000 evacuees which have fled in that direction as oil companies evacuate their own personal by plane in order to make room.  Thousands of others headed south to the major urban centre of Edmonton about 500km away.

© google

As the fire approached and entered the city on Tuesday,  neighbourhoods were ordered evacuated, then at 18;30 yesterday the  entire city and surrounding area of about t80,000 has been ordered evacuated. The order affects more people than the massive Slave Lake fire which made international headlines five years ago.

Highways became gridlocked as residents rushed to get out and the entire city was placed under a mandatory evacuation order. Fuel supplies in the city dried up as people filled their tanks.
Highways became gridlocked as residents rushed to get out and the entire city was placed under a mandatory evacuation order. Fuel supplies in the city dried up as people filled their tanks. © CAOS91.1(KAOS)/Canadian Press

As of Wednesday morning, the Ft McMurray neighbourhoods of Beacon Hill is being listed as 80 percent of homes lost, Abasand heavily damaged, a trailer park is gone and other damage reports are still coming in.

The worst is not over

This morning, the military is  gearing up to provide help.

A view from residents trying to leave Fort McMurray, Alta., from Twitter user @ccccrystal__. The city is under an evacuation order due to a raging wildfire
A view from residents trying to leave Fort McMurray, Alta. Many were terrified as they had to drive through the fire which in some cases was raging on either side of the roads. ©  Twitter user @ccccrystal__.

Fire officials say that as of this morning, no structures were on fire, but the situation could very easily change as winds and temperature increase as the day begins.

“The worst of the fire is not over,” Bernie Schmitte, manager of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, told a news conference.

Across Canada there were 66 new fires reported in the last 24 hours, with over 1,000 wildfires in total currently burning.

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