Canada wildfire spreads south forcing more evacuations

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massive wildfire in Alberta, Canada, has moved south,
forcing more evacuations on Thursday.
The fire is now 85,000 hectares, or 850 sq km, which is larger
than the city of Calgary.
It has grown five times its initial size since it broke out,
prompting more than 88,000 evacuations.
The fire started on Sunday in Canada's oil sands region and
many oil sands projects have cut production.
The emergency operations centre has moved 300 km south
and the evacuation order has widened as the flames spread
past Fort McMurray.
There are still no known causalities from the fire but there was
at least one vehicle crash with fatalities on the evacuation
route.
Eight thousand evacuees currently in camps north of Fort
McMurray will be resettled in southern urban areas, officials
said on Thursday.
Alberta premier Rachel Notley said the fire is growing in size
due to high winds but that it was "under control".
Officials have not given a timeline for when people may be
able to head back to their homes.
Scott Long of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency
called the blaze "an extreme fire event" and that rain would be
needed to fight it.
Cooler temperatures and rain are forecast, giving hope that it
could become easier to contain the fire.
Officials constructed a make-shift emergency operations
centre twice on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
The fire has knocked out nearly a third of the country's daily
crude capacity.
At least 64,000 barrels of crude output is offline as a result of
the fire, according to Reuters.
'It's catastrophic' says fleeing resident
"The smoke was really overpowering. It was a terrifying
experience," says Szymon Bicz, who fled his home.
"Thick black smoke was closing in and surrounded the car.
People were driving up on paths and grass verges just to get
out of there. I'm hoping my rented house is still intact but I
just don't know.
"The whole region is at risk. It's absolutely catastrophic."
'It just doesn't seem real': Fort McMurray residents flee their
homes
Residents north of Fort McMurray are being told to shelter in
place.
The blaze grew close to the local airport on Thursday, with the
CBC reporting that some buildings have been destroyed, but
the main terminal is still intact. All flights are cancelled.
"It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the
town," Scott Long, an official with Alberta's emergency
management agency told Reuters.
On Wednesday evening, thousands stayed in arenas, hockey
rinks and school gymnasiums, some with little food and other
resources.
Authorities in Alberta have called the fire "catastrophic".
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that the
federal government will match donations to the Canadian Red
Cross to assist those affected by the fire.
"The outpouring of good will and compassion from Canadians
right across the country has not only been inspirational, it has
been entirely characteristic of who we are and the
fundamental human values we share as Canadians," Mr
Trudeau said.