Most of the 1,00,000 residents of the Canadian city of Fort McMurray were ordered to leave town as a fire swept through the oil sands region, in Alberta province’s largest ever evacuation.
“All of Fort McMurray is under a mandatory evacuation order,” Alberta emergency services announced, after previously indicating that the northern edge of the fire was “growing rapidly.” The airport was still open.
“Be patient, drive safely and please give way to emergency vehicles,” an evacuation notice read. Gas stations exploded and several homes have already been burnt down, including one of the town’s many motor home parks, according to local media. The air was thick with black smoke.
Authorities urged residents to head toward evacuation centers as the city reeled from what Alberta premier Rachel Notley called the province’s largest evacuation.