Tens of Thousands of Fort McMurray residents flee in the largest fire evacuation in Alberta's history

[Emily]

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...ldfire-pushed-back-even-as-temperatures-climb

[h=1]Fort McMurray residents flee in the largest fire evacuation in Alberta's history[/h] Paige Parsons Emma Graney

Published on: May 4, 2016 | Last Updated: May 4, 2016 12:12 AM MDT Fort McMurray fire officials are prepared for another challenging day Wednesday as firefighters try to save the oilsands city from a massive wildfire that has destroyed homes and businesses, and forced the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta?s history.
Tens of thousands of people have fled north and south.
Fuelled by soaring temperatures that hit 32 C and tinder-dry forest, the fire broached the city limits and by 6:20 p.m. a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the entire city.
?Today has been a devastating day. We have had explosive fire conditions on the landscape brought on by extremely high temperatures? and low relative humidity, Bernie Schmitte, wildfire manager at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, said Tuesday night during a news conference...

 

[Emily]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...-killed-in-fort-mcmurray-evacuation-1.3569518

[h=1]'Tragedy, layered on tragedy': Girl, 15, killed in Fort McMurray evacuation[/h]
[h=3]One of a set of triplets, Emily Ryan described as affectionate 'old soul' who loved books[/h] By Mack Lamoureux, CBC News Posted: May 06, 2016 3:00 AM MT Last Updated: May 06, 2016 8:53 AM MT
...

On Wednesday Emily Ryan, 15, was like many others, forced to flee Fort McMurray.
She joined Aaron Hodgson, her stepmother's nephew, in an SUV.
Highway 881 was busy, but RCMP say traffic was still moving at highway speeds as people tried to put distance between themselves and the fire.
At around 1:30 p.m. the pair had all but escaped the fire when, just outside of Lac La Biche, the SUV collided with a tractor-trailer.
Both were killed on the scene.
The crash ignited a massive fire that closed the highway and put up plumes of smoke that could be seen kilometres away...

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...an-watches-his-home-burn-on-security-cam.html

[h=1]Fort McMurray man watches his home burn on security cam[/h] James O?Reilly watched on his iPhone as his home of almost 20 years burned to the ground just minutes after he and his wife fled the oncoming wildfire.
By Alex BoydMetro
2:03 PM, Fri., May 6, 2016
... ?I could feel the wind and it wasn?t wind from outside. It was wind from the fire,? he said.
But he says despite the short notice, they?re very thankful for the firefighters and police who braved rapidly progressing flames to help them get out.
?We?re better than most,? he said. ?We made it through, and we have our camper, so we have a home on the road.?

 

[Emily]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...e-pets-left-in-fort-mcmurray/article29933350/

[h=1]SPCA asking evacuees to register pets left behind in Fort McMurray[/h] The Canadian Press
Published Sunday, May 08, 2016 12:59PM EDT
Last updated Sunday, May 08, 2016 3:42PM EDT

A small but dedicated group of animal lovers is determined to continue rescuing pets from a potential ?mass grave? in the abandoned homes of Fort McMurray, despite having been kicked out last week.
Members of the group said that by Sunday afternoon, they?d received thousands of e-mails from evacuees of the northern Alberta wildfire whose pets were left behind.
Sam Sansalone, who?s based out of southern Alberta but has taken on a leadership role in the Facebook group Fort Mac Fire - Pet Rescue, where many of the efforts are being co-ordinated, said group members rescued about 230 pets on Wednesday and Thursday.
But on Thursday, and again on Friday, police kicked them out, he said....