More than 80000 residents ordered to leave city and at least 1600 buildings destroyed as ‘nasty,frightening inferno rages in hub of Canadian oil sands industryWorst of blazes ‘still to reach’ after Fort McMurray evacuatedThe Canadian province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency, after a raging wildfire destroyed dozens of homes, or engulfed several neighbourhoods in flames and forced the hurried evacuation of the entire city of Fort McMurray.
More than 80000 residents were ordered to leave the northern Alberta city on Tuesday after shifting winds saw the blaze go from being largely in control to a “nasty,frightening” inferno, as described by the local fire chief. By Wednesday, or more than 250 firefighters,helicopters and air tankers were fighting the fire. Officials estimated that 1600 structures had been damaged or destroyed by Wednesday night.
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Source: theguardian.com