Incredible aerial shots show the sheer scale of Alberta wildfire set to become costliest Canadian natural disaster ever with $1.6BILLION-worth of damage

Thursday, May 5, 2016
By Paul Martin

The fire, which entered its fourth day on Wednesday, prompted the evacuation of Fort McMurray’s 88,000 residents
Alberta declared a state of emergency with Premier Rachel Notley saying the destruction of buildings is ‘significant’
According to authorities, 1,600 buildings have already been destroyed and another 19,000 are under threat
Analysts and industry sources say the bill for insurers is expect to exceed over C$2 billion ($1.6 billion)

By KHALEDA RAHMAN
DAILYMAIL.COM
5 May 2016

These incredible aerial shots show the sheer scale of a wildfire in the Alberta city of Fort McMurray that is set to become the costliest ever Canadian natural disaster for insurers.

The unchecked fire, which entered its fourth day on Wednesday, has prompted the full evacuation of Fort McMurray’s 88,000 residents.

Now, a mandatory evacuation has been ordered for Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates, and Fort McMurray First Nation. Alberta’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police are going door-to-door warning residents that they need to leave immediately, RT.com reports.

Alberta declared a state of emergency on Wednesday afternoon for what was shaping up to be Canada’s costliest natural disaster. Premier Rachel Notley said fire had destroyed or damaged an estimated 1,600 structures.

Flames are being kept from the downtown area thanks to the ‘herculean’ efforts of firefighters, said Scott Long, of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

Long added that there was a chance that ‘a large portion of the town’ would be lost, The Star reports.

Chief Darby Allen of the Fort McMurray fire department said: ‘There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them.’

The fire appeared near the airport late on Wednesday. All commercial flights in and out of Fort McMurray have been suspended.

With 1,600 buildings destroyed and another 19,000 under threat, analysts and industry sources say the bill for insurers is expect to exceed over C$2 billion ($1.6 billion).

The Rest…HERE

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