Premier: Fort McMurray saved from worst of wildfire

A burned out car and the remains of a house are viewed in the Beacon Hill neighborhood during a media tour of the fire-damaged city of Fort McMurray, Alberta. (AP)e

Fort McMurray, Alberta — At least two neighborhoods in this oil sands city were scenes of utter devastation with incinerated homes leveled to the ground from a wildfire that Fort McMurray’s fire chief called a “beast … a fire like I’ve never seen in my life.”

But the wider picture was more optimistic as Fire Chief Darby Allen said 85 percent of Canada’s main oil sands city remains intact, including the downtown district. Alberta’s premier declared the city had been saved, adding that officials hope to provide a schedule within two weeks for thousands of evacuated residents to begin returning to their homes.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said about 2,400 homes and buildings were destroyed in the city, but firefighters managed to save 25,000 others, including the hospital, municipal buildings and every functioning school.

“This city was surrounded by an ocean of fire only a few days ago but Fort McMurray and the surrounding communities have been saved and they will be rebuilt,” Notley said.

Notley got her first direct look at the devastation in Fort McMurray on Monday after cold temperatures and light rain had stabilized the massive wildfire to a point where officials could begin planning to get thousands of evacuated residents back.

The break in the weather left officials optimistic they’ve reached a turning point on getting a handle on the massive wildfire. The temperature dipped to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) on Monday following a week where the region had unseasonably warm temperatures.

Notley flew in Monday morning to meet with local officials and took a ground tour of the town before holding a news conference at the emergency center.

“I was very much struck by the devastation of the fire. It was really quite overwhelming in some spots,” Notley said. “But I will also say that I was struck by the proximity of that devastation to neighborhoods that were untouched.”