May 16, 2016 by By John Cotter and Dean Bennett - The Canadian Press
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – A precautionary evacuation is clearing out employees at work camps north of Fort McMurray due to the threat of a quickly spreading wildfire.
Non-essential personnel are leaving while others are staying to conduct work on the plant and engage in firefighting.
There are about 4,000 workers at 12 camps in the area, including many at Suncor and Syncrude.
Officials say another 500 to 600 people in four small camps along Aostra Road are under a mandatory evacuation.
Scott Long of the Alberta Management Agency says there is no panic and the evacuations are being done in an orderly manner.
Officials say thick smoke is also posing a hazard.
The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo says the fire is moving 30 to 40 metres per minute and is expected to burn six kilometres in two hours.
“This controlled, precautionary evacuation is an example why it is note safe to be in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo at this time,” the municipality said late Monday afternoon in a news release.
Wildfire update, May 16, 5 p.m. – Workers north of #ymm under controlled precautionary evacuation #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/0bn9TjORt3
— rmwoodbuffalo (@RMWoodBuffalo) May 16, 2016
Syncrude Canada tweeted that buses are transporting workers to a safe location as part of its emergency plan.
Sneh Seetal, a spokesman for Suncor Energy, called it a “precautionary measure.”
Camps north of Fort McMurray under mandatory evacuation due to smoke. Vis SAT image: #ymm #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/HiKVx9Rvti
— Jesse Beyer (@jessebeyer) May 16, 2016
“The facilities are not at risk,” she said. “However, we felt it was important to take these steps in the interest of putting people first.”
All camps north of #ymm, up to and including Ruth Lake Camp, & all camps that use Aostra Rd are to evacuate #ymmfire https://t.co/axK8qWFxvj
— Alberta Government (@YourAlberta) May 16, 2016
Following mandatory evacuation of Noralta Lodge due to smoke, Syncrude is relocating workers residing in the facility to safety. #ymmfire
— Syncrude Canada Ltd. (@SyncrudeCanada) May 16, 2016
Update: May 16, 4:50 PM We’ve safely moved workers from our MacKay River operations & lodges & camps on Aostra Road https://t.co/MlVs0XGbuX
— Suncor (@Suncor) May 16, 2016
Eric Kraus, a spokesman for Clean Harbours, which runs the Ruth Lake camp, also called the move “precautionary.”
“The fire we believe is about 35 kilometres away,” he said. “There is a significant amount of smoke.”
"For Syncrude and Suncor everything is precautionary. It's the right thing to do for the safety of their workers." pic.twitter.com/VmXCgj7td5
— Margeaux Maron (@MargeauxMaron) May 17, 2016
"We're fairly confident … when it comes to Fort McMurray." Concern is more focused on oil & gas infrastructure, Long says. #YMMFire
— CBC Edmonton (@CBCEdmonton) May 17, 2016
#ymmfire is moving 30- 40 metres a minute, but officials say it is expected to slow as temperatures cool.
— Briar Stewart (@briarstewart) May 17, 2016
Explosive fire conditions happening now with >45 km/h gusts + hot & dry weather. #ymmfire New fires past 6hrs in red pic.twitter.com/lMKtZbXf5K
— Johanna Wagstaffe (@JWagstaffe) May 16, 2016
Morrison said fire is 15-20 kms from Syncrude/Suncor – people on site seeing heavy smoke in the area. #ymmfire
— CTV Edmonton (@ctvedmonton) May 17, 2016
Syncrude and Suncor are under precautionary evacuation. Four small camps mandatory because road could have closed them in #ymm #ymmfire
— Breanna Karstens-Smith (@Breanna_KS) May 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/peteyjulz/status/732349173937250304
Buses are transporting workers to a safe location as part of our emergency plan. #ymmfire
— Syncrude Canada Ltd. (@SyncrudeCanada) May 16, 2016
The entire population of Fort McMurray, more than 80,000 residents, are now entering their third week away from home. Many of the work camps were used to house evacuated residents who fled north when fire broke through into the city the afternoon of May 3.
Those residents were taken to points south, including Edmonton and Calgary, several days ago and workers were moved back in to begin ramping up oilsands production again.
About 2,400 structures were destroyed in Fort McMurray, but essential infrastructure, including the hospital, water treatment plant and the airport, remain intact.
Crews continued to battle hot spots on the edge of the city Monday while the first still raged out of control deeper in the forest. Hot, dry conditions were not helping firefighters.
Earlier Monday, officials warned the air quality in the Fort McMurray area was dangerously poor.
Air quality in #ymm is at a high health risk and expected to worsen overnight. https://t.co/rNvsCNj78T #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/HYUbjL3Byy
— rmwoodbuffalo (@RMWoodBuffalo) May 16, 2016
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the air quality health index is normally one to 10, with 10 being the worst, but the reading this morning was at 38.
Notley said the conditions were hampering efforts to get residents back to their homes.
Today's update on the Alberta fire situation & steps being taken to prepare #ymm for the safe return of residents: https://t.co/wz6hK2k1wy
— Rachel Notley (@RachelNotley) May 16, 2016
“Alberta Health Services has recommended that members of the public who had been previously arranging to return to the area under various requests not return until those conditions improve,” Notley said. “This is something that could potentially delay recovery work and a return to the community.”
Our second adjusters allowed in yesterday and commented "it was literally raining ash in town last night" #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/X8BVe46Rzu
— Pat Van Bakel (@pjvb71) May 16, 2016
Karen Grimsrud, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said they expect the air quality readings to remain in the extreme range for the next couple of days.
She said workers in the area should be wearing respirators.
Another #fire, north of #FortMac friend sent me pics from the air #abfire immediate #evacuation pic.twitter.com/Gcjom6BqpY
— Tom Graham (@Washed_Up) May 16, 2016
"We knew this would be a difficult fire day… The fire is about 15-20km to the south of major oil sands facilities" – Chad Morrison, WIO
— Margeaux Maron (@MargeauxMaron) May 17, 2016
@JlynNye @630 @JWongGlobalNews @FletcherKent @GordSteinke @GlobalEdmonton @GlobalCalgary Noralta 1mn ago ashes evry pic.twitter.com/73Heg3lo6x
— Rabid Rotty (@RottyRabid) May 16, 2016
The fire is intensifying…winds are picking up, more evacuations @GlobalCalgary @GlobalEdmonton pic.twitter.com/oNMFwzNVq8
— Jayme Doll (@DollJayme) May 16, 2016
Here's a map that includes many of the camps affected by this new evac order today. #ymmfire #fortmacfire #ymm #cbc pic.twitter.com/HhSixTMChG
— Marion Warnica (@warnicam) May 17, 2016
#Ymmfire moving up north we are in good spirit, strong & ready to go back to work tomorrow #StayStrongYmm pic.twitter.com/GhjY9Z5e6W
— ♍️ TrueLife♍️ (@peteyjulz) May 17, 2016
View from northbound bus as ppl evac oilsands operations. Contact says it's getting smokier. #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/Tnc9SWIwRR
— Carrie Tait (@CarrieTait) May 17, 2016
Smoke does some crazy things to sunlight. #ymmfire #ymm @ctvedmonton pic.twitter.com/EZBUn6m3I0
— John Hanson (@john_s_hanson) May 16, 2016
People waiting for rooms after evacuation #ymmfire #FortMacFire pic.twitter.com/5jxIh8iD7t
— Bardownski (@cybertron84) May 17, 2016
— Justin Bourke (@tazbourkemo) May 16, 2016
We just got our way out… fire is heading NE to a 30-40m/hrs#ymm #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/VGb9XedkP6
— M.Ramon (@_RamonMartinez) May 17, 2016
The view from north of town right now. Doing our best to get information for you about evacuations of camps #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/09byleUILP
— MyMcMurray (@MyMcMurray) May 16, 2016
Active fire mapping from @forestservice as of today, May 16, 2016. https://t.co/SeMJVrSGLc #ymm #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/qXvUkIpP6d
— rmwoodbuffalo (@RMWoodBuffalo) May 17, 2016
WATCH: Fort McMurray wildfire evacuation order continues to expand Monday night @SarahNKraus reports #ymmfire https://t.co/QMMDQig06m
— Global Edmonton (@GlobalEdmonton) May 17, 2016
Sign says it all at #ymm int'l #ymmfire @ctvedmonton pic.twitter.com/eDgRjxv07D
— John Hanson (@john_s_hanson) May 16, 2016
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