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Thousands evacuated as wildfire rages in west Canada

Xinhua, May 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Massive wildfire raging through multiple neighborhoods in northern Alberta, Canada, has forced thousands of residents to leave their homes, local officials said Tuesday.

By Tuesday afternoon, the lower downtown and 10 neighborhoods in Alberta's oil sands city of Fort McMurray have been placed on mandatory evacuation orders because of the approaching blaze, said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

The Abasand, Beacon Hill, Dickensfield, Grayling Terrace, Wood Buffalo, Thickwood, Waterways, Saline Creek, Draper and Gregoire neighborhoods were all put on mandatory evacuation notices and residents were ordered to leave their homes.

Some homes in Beacon Hill and the Centennial Trailer Park have been destroyed, according to a municipality spokesman who asks evacuees not to go back home to retrieve pets.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was concerned, tweeting "My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight. Stay safe and remember to follow evacuation orders."

Shortly before the evacuation order, helicopters had attempted to douse the flames with water. However, aircraft now stopped dumping fire retardant between the city limits and the fire because the blaze is now too close to the city.

The situation on the ground appears to be very fluid over the last few hours. Overnight, the huge fire burning west of the town crossed the Athabasca River and ignited a small spot fire on the opposite side.

The second fire was among the top priorities for firefighters on Tuesday, said Darby Allen, fire chief for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

The fire is one of 31 wildfires burning across Alberta around midday Tuesday, two of which are out of control.

Allen cautioned that the fire remains "out of control" and poses a serious risk as high temperature and strong wind is fuelling flames.

"As the fire grows in size, the complexity in fighting it grows. And the weather is not doing us any favors," said Allen.

The main wildfire more than doubled in size overnight, from 1,285 hectares to 2,600 hectares.

Around 800 firefighters are battling blazes across the province. Endit