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Roundup: Canada steps up efforts to battle Alberta wildfire

Xinhua, May 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Canada is responding at a nationwide level to fight the "catastrophic" wildfire in northern Alberta which caused the largest evacuation in the province's history, officials said Wednesday.

The wildfire raging through Fort McMurray has forced the entire city with over 88,000 residents to evacuate, destroyed 1,600 homes and buildings, and consumed more than 10,000 hectares, according to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

"As we start to move down the road with respect to recovery, understanding the scope of the recovery efforts that we have before us, we'll engage with the federal government, with the municipality, and we will ensure that the citizens of Fort McMurray and surrounding communities are supported as they all come together to get through this," said Notley.

Notley said a memo of understanding about support from the military focused on three elements: helicopter search and rescue for people caught or left behind the fire line in communities outside Fort McMurray, airlift of materials and personnel, such as firefighters, and, at a later point, the potential for ground support to assist in accessing the area to determine when it is safe for people to return.

The Alberta premier said she had all the powers she needed to deal with the catastrophe without declaring a state of emergency.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government is mobilizing national efforts in the rescue and relief process.

"While the full extent of the damage isn't yet known, we certainly do know that for those who have been affected by this fire is absolutely devastating. It's a loss on a scale that is hard for many of us to imagine," Trudeau said in Ottawa Wednesday afternoon.

On the six-month anniversary of his cabinet swearing-in, the prime minister pledged to offer support to the affected, noting that rebuilding would take years.

"We have mobilized a certain number of Canadian Forces aircraft," said Trudeau after a CC-130 Hercules departed from the 8 Wing base in Trenton, Ontario, with a crew to assist with the Fort McMurray wildfire.

The Canadian Armed Forces said CH-146 helicopters were also being deployed at the request of the Department of Public Safety to help as the wildfire continues burning in the hot dry and windy weather condition.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the Canadian Armed Forces would be making all assistance available to the Alberta government.

Meanwhile, the province of Ontario is sending 100 firefighters to Alberta while British Columbia provincial crews are fighting its own fires. Firefighters are hoping a coming cold front may bring relief.

Canadian Red Cross has received incoming donations and is appealing for food and fresh water for those forced to dislocate at least 20 km away from home, with thousands of evacuees expected to settle in Edmonton, the provincial capital more than 400 km to the south.

The local airport has been closed to all commercial flights, and oil sands operators including Suncor and Shell have shut down regional facilities to make room for evacuees.

Perhaps surprisingly, no major casualties have been reported. Fort McMurray's critical infrastructure and downtown core -- including the water treatment plant, waste water treatment plant, Highway 63 and the Grant MacEwan Bridge -- remained intact Tuesday night.

Most of the structures have been damaged in the outskirts communities such as Beacon Hill, Abasand and Waterways. Fort McMurray's only hospital, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, was evacuated Tuesday as flames approached from the Waterways neighborhood.

Among the properties gone with the flames, there was a house belonging to local political leader Brian Jean, leader of the official opposition Wildrose Party and Alberta MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin.

"It's burned to the ground. Along with 50 years of my life in Fort McMurray and memories and stuff," Jean told CBC News. "But that's it, it's just stuff."

Jean said the disaster is the latest in a series of economic challenges the community has faced in recent months. "We're a very resilient community," he said. "We will come back strong. We will rebuild. We will rebuild better than ever, and I'm excited about the prospects."

In a statement, Queen Elizabeth said the royal family was "shocked and saddened" by the wildfire devastation to Fort McMurray. Endit