Alberta bringing in 1,000 more firefighters

By The Canadian Press  May 20, 2016  

May 20, 2016, Edmonton - A massive wildfire that destroyed parts of Fort McMurray hasn't grown in size in the forest around the city and officials are bringing in more firefighters to try and gain the upper hand.

Alberta senior wildlife manager Chad Morrison says cooler temperatures, higher humidity and a forecast for rain have allowed the government to safely put more crews on fighting the fire.

Morrison says the province plans to bring in an extra 1,000 firefighters over the next two weeks, adding to 1,100 already on the ground.

The blaze is already about 5,000 square kilometres in size, with nearly eight square kilometres stretching over into the Saskatchewan boundary.

More than 2,400 buildings were destroyed in Fort McMurray earlier this month and the northern Alberta city remains under a mandatory evacuation order.

The province is hoping to have people return to the region starting June 1.


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