Canada, a state of emergency has been declared in the city of Fort McMurray as a massive blaze prompted the biggest evacuation in the history of Alberta state.
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 Sunday, have destroyed at least 1,600 homes and other buildings and forced more than 80,000 residents to flee.
Danielle Larivee, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs, said the fire was actively burning in residential areas, with more than 250 firefighters battling the blaze.
Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but deaths were reported in at least one car crash when people were evacuating.
A spokeswoman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said that all large oil sands facilities would be properly shut to minimise the damage.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, while the full extent of the damage was not yet known, that it was absolutely devastating and that there was loss on a scale that was hard to imagine.
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 Sunday, have destroyed at least 1,600 homes and other buildings and forced more than 80,000 residents to flee.
Danielle Larivee, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs, said the fire was actively burning in residential areas, with more than 250 firefighters battling the blaze.
Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but deaths were reported in at least one car crash when people were evacuating.
A spokeswoman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said that all large oil sands facilities would be properly shut to minimise the damage.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, while the full extent of the damage was not yet known, that it was absolutely devastating and that there was loss on a scale that was hard to imagine.
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