Around 12,000 people have been urged to leave Canada’s oil sands camps near the fire-hit town of Fort McMurray as a resurgent wildfire heads towards them.
A regional official told the BBC that 8,000 people were given precautionary evacuation orders late on Monday evening, in addition to some 4,000 who had already been advised to leave.
More than 80,000 people fled Fort McMurray two weeks ago when a wildfire swept through the town.
Around 2,400 buildings were destroyed.
The vast fire had moved away from the city but in recent days it has started to threaten the area again.
A number of oil workers had begun in recent days to return to the oil facilities north and south of Fort McMurray to restart production.
But on Monday, they were warned that the wildfire was travelling at 30-40 metres per minute north of Fort McMurray.
Over the course of the day, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo extended its precautionary evacuation orders to all camps north of Fort McMurray and south of Fort McKay.
These include the large Suncor and Syncrude sites.
Thick smoke and ash over a wide area are said to be hampering the fire-fighting operation and hot-dry winds have been fanning the flames.
Fire crews were also trying to control a blaze south-east of Fort McMurray that is threatening an oil installation, and another fire is burning not far from the Fort McMurray neighbourhood of Timberlea.
Meanwhile, work is under way to restore essential services to Fort McMurray, paving the way for the return of the 80,000 residents.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said on Monday that electricity had been restored to most of the city, the water-treatment plant was working and the airport was ready to reopen.
But she said air quality was at the extreme level of 38 – far exceeding the province’s most dangerous level of 10.
Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau told CBC News that the cost of the disaster was still being evaluated.
“We’re obviously going to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people in Fort McMurray and rebuild the city,” he said.
The wildfire still covers about 2,410 sq km (930 sq miles) and is expected to burn for a few more weeks.(BBC News)
Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36309184
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