Vancouver, British Columbia — Hundreds of residents in four neighborhoods on the southern edge of the tar sands hub of Fort McMurray, Alberta, in Canada, have been ordered to leave as a wildfire threatens the community.
The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo said Tuesday that residents of Beacon Hill, Abasand, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace should leave by 4 p.m.
An emergency evacuation warning remains in place for the rest of Fort McMurray and the surrounding area.
The rural municipality said residents in the four neighborhoods are being ordered to clear space so crews can fight the fire, which has moved 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the city.
Fort McMurray has a population of about 68,000, and a massive wildfire in 2016 destroyed 2,400 homes.
In the northeast of the neighboring province of British Columbia, areas subject to mandatory evacuation have increased, with the latest order on Monday for the Doig River First Nation and the Peace River Regional District due to the threat of a fire nearby .
Forecasts Tuesday called for winds that could bring a growing wildfire closer to Fort Nelson. Emergency workers have been calling many of the roughly 50 residents still in the city and urging them to leave.
The British Columbia Wildfire Service said the fire spans 84 square kilometers (32 miles). On Monday, it was about 53 square kilometers (21 miles) in size. A photo from the service shows the growing fire spreading across a large wooded area.
The community of about 4,700 people and neighboring Fort Nelson First Nation have been under an evacuation order since Friday.
Northern Rocky Mountain Regional Municipality Mayor Rob Fraser said one drawback to the evacuation is the challenge it is for essential personnel, including firefighters, to find food.
“This will really depend on the weather, and so far the weather has stayed with us,” Fraser said of the wildfire in a video posted to Facebook.
In 2023, Canada experienced a record number of wildfires, causing choking smoke in parts of the US and forcing more than 235,000 Canadians to evacuate their communities. At least four firefighters died.
Several wildfires are burning in western Canada.
A fire near Cranberry Portage in northwestern Manitoba forced about 550 residents from their homes.
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