(Photo Supplied: Nicole Baggio / ROGERS MEDIA FORT MCMURRAY)
About 4,000 people have been airlifted from north of Fort McMurray to the south and the hope is for that number to be 8,000 by the end of Thursday night.
Premier Rachel Notley made the announcement Thursday afternoon along with emergency officials, as the massive blaze is still estimated to be 85,000 hectares.
As for the city itself, there aren’t any new estimates on structures lost, while most of downtown, as well as Thickwood and neighbourhoods south of Confederation Way remain mostly untouched.
However, Anzac and Gregoire Lake Estates are currently under extreme threat.
Notley says while many people want to get back into the city, that’s simply not going to happen soon.
“As we are still in the response phase of this emergency it is simply not possible, nor is it responsible to speculate on a time that citizens will be able to return. Unfortunately, we do know, that it will not be a matter of days,” she said.
Fuel is being shipped to the northern camps so that cars can start travelling southbound to Edmonton or even farther.
The goal is to get 400 vehicles in the first RCMP escorted convoy, most with multiple passengers, and then go from there as long as conditions allow them to.
Wildfire Officer Chad Morrison discussed the forecast for Friday.
“We’re expecting likely west winds tomorrow, but not nearly the speed that we’ve had. Again, it’s too early too tell how the fire will behave and we’ll kind of have a better assessment and clue to that in the morning,” he said.
The fire is also being described as ‘on the doorstep of Anzac’ so officials are keeping a close eye on that community.
Notley confirmed an air tanker slid off the runway in Manning, but there’s no fatalities to the pilots.
The premier also asked evacuees who are staying with friends and family to register with the government’s emergency website.
