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 The out-of-control blaze has consumed entire neighborhoods of Fort
McMurray in Canada's energy heartland and officials warn its spread
now threatens two oil sands sites south of the city.
The wildfire has already forced precautionary production cuts or
shutdowns at about a dozen major facilities, eating into a global
crude surplus and supporting oil prices this week.
"The damage to the community of Fort McMurray is extensive and the
city is not safe for residents," said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley
in a press briefing late Thursday, as those stranded in camps and on
the roadside to the north of the city clamored for answers.
"It is simply not possible, nor is it responsible to speculate on a
time when citizens will be able to return. We do know that it will
not be a matter of days," she said.
Three days after the residents were ordered to leave Fort McMurray,
firefighters were still battling to protect homes, businesses and
other structures from the flames. More than 1,600 structures,
including hundreds of homes, had been destroyed by Wednesday
morning. Officials declined on Thursday to estimate how many more
had been lost.
 The communities of Anzac and Gregoire Lake Estates about 50
kilometers (31 miles) south of Fort McMurray were "under extreme
threat," late Thursday, as the flames spread to the southeast.
CNOOC Nexen's Long Lake oil sands facility and Athabasca Oil's
Hangingstone project are also in danger as winds blow southward,
according to emergency officials.
There have been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but
fatalities were reported in a car crash along the evacuation route.
Although the cause of the fire was unknown, officials said
tinder-dry brush, low humidity, and hot, gusting winds left crews
unable to stop the massive conflagration.
The blaze, which erupted on Sunday, grew more than tenfold from
18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) on Wednesday to some 210,000 acres
(85,000 hectares) on Thursday, an area roughly 10 times the size of
Manhattan.
The dry weather conditions prompted the province to issue a fire ban
for parks and protected areas on Thursday.
"GIVE US ANSWERS"
For those stranded north of Fort McMurray, there was a hint of good
news. With the fire moving to the southeast, officials are hoping to
begin a ground evacuation from the north on Friday morning and
briefly re-open the main highway through the city to let people
drive south.
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On Thursday, frustration for thousands stranded to the north was
growing, with some venting online and demanding answers.
One twitter user posted a message saying, "NO ONE IS TELLING US
ANYTHING!! We're just sitting in a camp praying to get out!! Give us
answers!!! Please."
The premier said that a government airlift of those cut off to the
north was going smoothly and that about 4,000 people had already
been evacuated to the cities of Edmonton and Calgary as of late
Thursday.
Closer to the scene, hundreds filled a community center on Thursday
in Lac La Biche, a community 290 km (180 miles) south of Fort
McMurray. Many were second-round evacuees ordered to relocate from
temporary refuges closer to Fort McMurray on Wednesday night as the
flames spread.
Kirby Abo, who came from Fort McMurray with his wife and three
children, said he worried that his job in a recycling depot may no
longer exist when he returns home.
"I think it's going to be a ghost town for quite a while," he said.
Fort McMurray's mayor in a television interview acknowledged the
city faces a long road to recovery, saying that "what comes next is
absolutely daunting, but not insurmountable."
The winds gave the city a reprieve on Thursday by driving the fire
to the southeast, away from areas with the most dwellings. But
officials warned the unpredictable weather could quickly shift and
that gusting winds have been very challenging for firefighters.
Properties near green areas in Fort McMurray remain at risk, they
said.
(With additional reporting by Ethan Lou, Andrea Hopkins, Allison
Martell, Amran Abocar, Jeffrey Hodgson and Euan Rocha in Toronto,
Nia Williams in Calgary and Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Writing by
Andrea Hopkins, Dan Whitcomb and Euan Rocha; Editing by Cynthia
Osterman, Andrew Hay and Tom Hogue)
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