Canadian PM inspects wildfire-destroyed western region

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday arrived in Fort McMurray region of the western province of Alberta to assess the damage by last week's devastating wildfire.

Known as the "beast," the fire has destroyed 2,400 homes and businesses, and displaced more than 94,000 people in the oil sands city. The fire, which is currently 2,400 square km in size, has moved away from the city and is expected to burn forested areas for many more weeks.

At a press conference held here following his helicopter tour, Trudeau said that despite having seen updates and images on TV, the scale and scope of what happened hit him hard during the tour.

"I don't think Canadians yet understand what happened," he said. "They know there was a fire. They're beginning to hear the wonderful news that so much of the town was saved."

He said people do not yet understand that saving the town was not due to rain, a shift in the wind or luck, but by the backbreaking and sometimes heartbreaking "amazing" work in the incredibly long days.

There are 1,714 firefighters, 123 helicopters, 226 pieces of heavy equipment and 26 air tankers currently battling the fires.

"Now this community needs help, and I can guarantee you Canada will be here for this community," he said to applause.

Melissa Blake, mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo of the fire-destroyed area, said it was critical for Trudeau to tour the burned neighborhoods.

"I'm personally very appreciative that he's coming in to survey it firsthand, because once you see it, you know just how daunting the work will be, but how important it is to make it back to what it was before."

The evacuees, now spread across the province and the country, are waiting for word on when they can return home, likely weeks from now. Many are looking to the federal government for money needed to rebuild the community.

Early this week, Trudeau hosted a special cabinet committee to coordinate the federal government's contributions to the recovery and rebuilding efforts in northern Alberta.

According to a latest news release issued Friday evening, there was no significant fire growth Thursday. However, there were four new fire starts overnight. A total of 17 wildfires are burning with one out of control, two being held, eight under control and six turned over to the responsible parties. Endi