Canadian soil is skyrocketing with concern as the forest fire in Alberta region, raged on unabated. Nearly 25,000 people were airlifted to safety. These people hailing from the city of Fort McMurray breathed a sigh of relief, when they were saved from the angry fires bustling in the oil sands region of Alberta.
Alberta, a small province in Western Canada, is famously known as one of the world’s most impressive oil industries .The oil city Alberta, has about 100,000 people residing in it and after the fire breakout, a total evacuation of the area was ordered. Firefighters, helicopters and air tankers could not control the fire and the huge fire seemed to flare out to the whole neighborhoods.
Residents who managed to reach the North of the city, trying to escape from the fire, have been airlifted by the authorities to Calgary and Edmonton. The petroleum and Government industry aircrafts
are making full efforts to help the residents. The evacuees who had escaped to the North of the city were petrified, that they may be trapped in the fires because of the wind direction and they retreated to safety.
According to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley who hoped to airlift about 8000 people to safety till the day ended said “Right now we are working with industry to do as much air evacuation as possible. And we are doing everything we can to open the highways so we can get fuel up there and then get those folks moving south as quickly as we can.”
A state of emergency has been declared in Alberta by the government. Nearly 49 separate fires have broken across Alberta and 1100 firefighters are busy trying to control these raging blares, out of which 7 are scorching unabated. Almost 21000 acres of forest land have been engulfed by the inferno, and about 2000 homes razed to the ground. The traffic in the area is uncontrollable and jam-packed and the sky is covered with a black smoky covering. The cars sticking together have seen the showering of bright orange ambers which infused fear in them.
Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister told Ottawa lawmakers, “The footage we’ve seen, the cars racing down highways while fire rages on all sides, is nothing short of terrifying.” Oil companies like Shell, Suncor, and Syncrude have huge bungalow worker committees that were a home to their non-essential employees, and they have offered to set up emergency shelters for the people affected by the fires. Unusually high temperatures and poor rainfall have left Alberta dry and parched.
Rona Ambrose, a Lawmaker , representing the affected region, wept as she gave a statement that the area would soon come back to its old glory “Fort McMurray is a place where Canadians have come from all across this country. It’s a tough day for Albertans but we will persevere”.
Notley on the other hand has said “I must be very, very direct about this. It is apparent that the damage to the community in Fort McMurray is extensive, and the city is not safe for residents at this time. I understand that the Albertans are scared, tired, and worried about their homes and what the future holds for themselves and their families.” She admitted that it is going to take a while before the area gets back to its old glory.
