Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Alberta Emergency Alert issued the order for Beacon Hill, Abasand, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace just after 2 p.m.
All residents must leave by 4 p.m., according to the alert.
Residents are being asked to go to the reception centre in Lac La Biche County.
All evacuees should register online, or call 310-4455 to register over the phone.
The following areas are under evacuation alert: Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray First Nation #468, Anzac and Rickards Landing Industrial Park.
“The reason why it’s so important to clear [the neighbourhoods] out is so that we can mobilize our fire resources to fight this fire and defend these neighbourhoods,” Jody Butz, director of emergency management for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said. “We are confident that we have the resources to defend these areas, but we need people out of harm’s way.”
Butz urged residents in other parts of the city not to leave the community until residents under the evacuation order had a chance to clear the area.
“It’s important that we approach this in a safe, orderly and respectful manner.”
Images from 511 Alberta on Tuesday afternoon showed bumper-to-bumper traffic on Highway 63 southbound heading away from the city.
At 4:30 p.m. RCMP also announced the temporary closure of Highway 63 northbound between Highway 881 and Saprae Creek Trail to allow for preventative fire measures.
In an update on Tuesday afternoon, officials said the fire was out of control, and had continued to move toward the city on Monday and Tuesday.
The fire is about eight kilometres from the Fort McMurray landfill and 13 kilometres from the intersection of highways 63 and 881.
“We’re seeing extreme fire behaviour. Smoke columns are developing and the skies are covered in smoke. Firefighters have been pulled from the fire line for safety reasons,” Josee St-Onge of Alberta Wildfire told reporters. “We continue to work on this wildfire with aerial support helicopters and air tankers are dropping water and retardant on the active edges of the fire.”
St-Onge says wind conditions are not favourable, and officials expect the fire to continue moving toward the city until the winds shift.
Officials also acknowledged the trauma many residents are likely experiencing as a result of the fire in 2016 that destroyed thousands of homes.
“I want to recognize the anxiety that this brings, certainly to those residents that were here in 2016, and to those where this is their first experience and have heard the stories,” Butz said.
“It’s very important for me to note that this fire activity is very different than the 2016 Horse River wildfire. We have an abundance of resources. And we are well positioned to respond to this situation.”
‘We’re all together in this’
Some residents who spoke to CTV News Edmonton said they weren’t taking any chances.
James Cardinal was preparing to leave the Timberlea area, northwest and across the river from the neighbourhoods under the evacuation order on Tuesday afternoon.
“I believe most of the city is evacuating, especially since what’s happened before with the 2016 fires. Everybody doesn’t want to take the chance again,” he told CTV News Edmonton.
“I was at work there. And we just got the order to evacuate or whatever so we’re just getting ready right now.”
Cardinal says he travels regularly for work, so his bags are already packed. While he’s experienced evacuation orders before, he says it never gets easier.
“It’s pretty scary.”
“The beeping on your phone and then the feeling that comes with it to know that you have to leave your house and just get away from whatever fire it might be.”
Farid Andar lives in Beacon Hill and owns the Beacon Hill Food Store.
He said he’s worried about losing his business.
“It’s actually very scary,” he said.
“After the fire I built the business. I worked with it with the heart to make this place running.”
He has the following message for his Fort McMurray neighbours:
“Don’t panic, hopefully everything is going to be OK. Just try to think positive as much as you can.”
“We’re not alone. We’re all together in this.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Matt Woodman and David Ewasuk