Fort McMurray Wildfire Expands to 5,500 Hectares, Forces Flames to Move South of City

A wildfire near Fort McMurray, Alberta, has more than tripled in size overnight, but fire officials are optimistic that it won’t spread as much on Sunday and won’t approach the city.

The fire, located about 16 kilometers southwest of Fort McMurray, has grown to about 5,500 hectares as of Sunday morning, up from 1,500 hectares on Saturday morning. Despite extreme wind speeds and fire behavior on Saturday, the flames were pushed southeast away from the city.

Alberta Wildfire is currently dealing with a total of 52 active wildfires, including seven mutual-aid fires. Two of these wildfires, including the one near Fort McMurray, are considered out of control.

While the fire near Fort McMurray grew significantly in the past 24 hours, overnight firefighting efforts were successful in containing the northeast portion of the wildfire. Fire officials do not expect much growth on Sunday, as winds are forecasted to slow down and shift direction, pushing the flames back onto the burned area.

Five firefighting crews, air tankers, and nine helicopters are on scene, with an incident management team being added on Sunday. However, the fire danger in the region remains extreme, and the public is advised to follow directions from authorities.

The regional municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, remains under an evacuation alert, meaning residents should be prepared to leave at short notice. Despite the progress made by firefighters, the situation remains volatile, and precautions are still necessary.