The fires in Alberta’s Boreal Forests are expanding at geometric rates, and will continue to do so until the unusually hot dry spring weather pattern (that has made northern Alberta hotter than Texas this spring) comes to an end, the fires’ rapid expansion is likely to continue.
Without rain, massive Fort McMurray wildfire expected to keep growing
No firm estimates yet available on number of structures that burned overnightBy Rick McConnell
Fire officials in Alberta do not yet know what started a massive wildfire that chased the entire population out of Fort McMurray, but they now know the only force that can stop it will be a significant change in the weather.
Supercharged by winds of up to 70 km/h, the wildfire ballooned to 85,000 hectares overnight and is now raging on several fronts near the oilsands city.
The main fire, now south of the city, is expected to continue to burn out of control today and perhaps for many days to come.
Fort McMurray is the first North American city to face fire caused destruction on this scale since fires broke out following the 1889 San Francisco earthquake.
"Let me be clear, air tankers are not going to stop this fire," Morrison said. "This is an extreme fire event. It's going to continue to push through these dry conditions until we actually get some significant rain to help us.
"I expect this fire to continue to grow over the next number of days."
x YouTube VideoThe fire has now burned well past the airport, moving steadily south. With northwest winds forecast to be 40 km/h later today, the fire is expected to continue pushing south, away from the city.
How many more days the enormous complex of wildfires will continue to burn southward through Alberta's boreal forest is anybody’s guess. We can already assume the human and ecological consequences across the region will be horrific. These fires are also releasing enormous amounts of carbon into the earth’s atmosphere.
Thousands More Flee Fast-Spreading Wildfire in Canada
By DAN LEVIN
Matthew Anderson, a provincial wildfire information officer, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that the fire “had grown considerably overnight” and that more than 100 firefighters were on the ground, aided by 12 helicopters and 16 air tankers. But he said they were limited in what they could do because of weather conditions.
x YouTube VideoThe fire was burning on both sides of Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray on Thursday, blocking the only road out of town. Residents who made it to Edmonton before the road was cut told of harrowing escapes.
By forcing some oil sands projects and pipeline companies to suspend operations and evacuate workers, the fire has begun to have an impact on the Canadian oil industry. Some analysts estimated that production had fallen by about one-third, or 640,000 barrels a day, according to Reuters.
UPDATE:
Fort McMurray fire: Escape convoy planned
(CNN)Sometime Friday morning, Canadian officials will give the signal and a convoy of hundreds of vehicles will roll south, through the battered city of Fort McMurray, as evacuees try to get away from the flames of a massive wildfire.
Officials said the effort will involve 400 cars and a helicopter that will fly ahead to make sure the path is safe. x YouTube Video