The giant Fort McMurray inferno has cast a large shadow over our recent visit to Canada. Fort McMurray, located in the Canadian province of Alberta, has been in a panic since a massive wildfire has taken aim at the city. The entire local population of 88,000 residents were ordered to evacuate the small oil town last Tuesday. The fire, which has already devastated several neighborhoods in the town, is now threatening the two oil sands production sites just to the south of the city. The fire has destroyed over 1,600 structures as of last Wednesday, and is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. It began on Sunday May 1, and quickly grew to consume more than 18,500 acres by last Wednesday, and 210,000 acres by Thursday.
Fort McMurray residents
The thousands of Fort McMurray residents that have evacuated to the north are being relocated by government airlift to the cities of Calgary and Edmonton. No one knows yet when the fire will be contained, or when the citizens will be allowed to return. Officials are warning that it may take months for the fire to be brought under control. Significant rainfall may be required in order to halt the spread of fire. There have not been any casualties from the fire as of yet, but two people have died in separate traffic accidents caused by the massive evacuation. Fort McMurray is located in the northeastern Alberta Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Canada. It resides in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands patch, and is surrounded by the Boreal Forest. There is currently no time frame for the local energy companies to be able to restart their operations at the evacuated sites in the area. The wildfires have cut Canada’s large oil sands production by 50%. Oil prices are up about 2% this morning, as the fire has contributed to a reduction in global supply.
