Fort McMurray wildfire - by the numbers
Zoe Todd | CBC News | Posted: May 8, 2016 2:14 PM | Last Updated: May 8, 2016
As the Fort McMurray wildfire continues to grow, so do the numbers associated with combatting its flames.
Hundreds of firefighters deployed, requiring dozens of air tankers, fire engines and helicopters.
Thousands of evacuees are clogging Highway 63 as they inch south away from the fire. Thousands more are already in temporary lodgings throughout Alberta.
Millions of dollars in donations have flooded in from across the country.
Below is a roundup of numbers provided by provincial and fire officials, as of May 7.
Wildfire size and damage
- 1,600 structures burned in Fort McMurray
- 12 structures burned in Anzac
- up to $9 billion estimated cost to insurers, according to a Bank of Montreal analyst
- Two fatalities during evacuations
| Friday, May 6 | Saturday, May 7 | Sunday, May 8 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 square kilometres | 1,560 square kilometres | 1,610 square kilometres |
Resources deployed
Equipment
Equipment includes heavy helicopters with 3,700-litre capacities, capable of dumping 75,700 litres of water in an hour.
- 15 helicopters
- 4 heavy lift helicopters
- 88 fire engines
- 44 pieces of heavy equipment
- 27 air tankers available
- Four air tankers from Quebec, and one from the Northwest Territories
Firefighters
Wildfire fighters usually deploy for 14 days at a time. Deployments to Fort McMurray have been shortened due to extreme fire conditions, according to Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee.
- 500 firefighters in Fort McMurray
- 66 firefighters in Anzac
- 82 wildfire fighters from Ontario
- 22 wildfire experts from Manitoba
- 40 additional wildfire fighters expected from Quebec on May 10, and 20 more expected from New Brunswick on May 11
Evacuations
More than 80,000 people have left Fort McMurray, which is under a mandatory evacuation order.
About 25,000 people fled north, becoming trapped when Highway 63 shut down. On May 7, as smoke thickened and the highway reopened, more than 7,000 drove south in 2,000 vehicles. Another 12,000 people had already been flown out.
- More than 80,000 people have left Fort McMurray
- 1,500 employees have been moved from Syncrude sites
- 300 vulnerable people left Fort McKay in voluntary evacuations
- 36,381 households registered with Red Cross
- 5,500 people staying in reception centres
- $44 million in donations to Red Cross
Contacts
Wood Buffalo RCMP non-emergency line: 780-788-4000
Red Cross registration: 1-888-350-6070
Red Cross donations: 1-800-418-1111
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