Alberta Wildfire: State of Emergency declared by Canada Government

Alberta: A province in Western Canada that encompasses mountains, prairies, desert badlands and vast coniferous forests.

Alberta, a province in Western Canada, came in news in the first week of May 2016. It came into news on 5 May 2016 after a state of emergency was declared in the city of Fort McMurray due to a massive wildfire destroyed several of homes.

Fort McMurray is the hub of the province’s main oil sands region.

The raging wildfire that engulfed homes and several neighbourhoods prompted the biggest evacuation in the history of Alberta State. At least 80000 residents were ordered to leave the northern Alberta city.

Highlights of the incident

• Officials warned that the fire had the potential to destroy much of the town with a few neighbourhoods already destroyed.

• Wind whipped wildfires, which broke out on 1 May 2016, have destroyed at least 1600 homes and other buildings and forced more than 80000 residents to flee.

• More than 250 firefighters are battling the blaze that was actively burning in residential areas. The firefighters are assisted by helicopters and air tankers.

• Officials also issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation communities located about 50km south of Fort McMurray.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, while the full extent of the damage was not yet known, it was absolutely devastating and that there was loss on a scale that was hard to imagine.

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