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Wildfire destroys homes in Canadian city; delays hit evacuation

Published 2016-05-04, 08:41 a/m
© Reuters. Wildfire destroys homes in Canadian city; delays hit evacuation
SHEL
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May 4 (Reuters) - An out-of-control wildfire destroyed much
of one neighborhood in the remote Canadian city of Fort McMurray
and badly damaged other areas, the local government said on
Wednesday, hours after it ordered all 80,000 residents to leave
in the biggest evacuation in the area's history.
Firefighters in the northeastern Alberta city at the heart
of Canada's oil sands were bracing for another tough day. Hot,
dry weather has made it difficult to being the fire under
control. A forecast for potential fire intensity showed much of
the area around at class 6, the highest possible level.
Some 44,000 people had fled the city by late on Tuesday, but
evacuations were delayed by gasoline shortages, local officials
said. No injuries or deaths were reported.
In a bulletin posted on Twitter in the early morning, the
regional government said 80 percent of Beacon Hill, a
residential area at the south end of town, had been lost. Two
other neighborhoods, Abasand and Waterways, were listed as
"serious loss."
By early Wednesday morning Shell RDSa.L had closed one oil
sands mine and was in the process of closing another. Chief
Financial Officer Simon Henry said the company's priority was
safety, and to support the community. Henry said upgraders,
which process oil sands to produce crude, would operate for a
few more days.
Alberta Health Services said in a statement that all
patients had been successfully evacuated from Fort McMurray's
hospital.
The fire broke out southwest of the city on Sunday, shifting
aggressively with the wind to breach city limits on Tuesday.

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