The oilsands hub city of Fort McMurray, Alta., got a watery reprieve from a menacing wildfire Thursday as steady rain fell and water cannons delivered a soaking blast to tinder-dry ditches.
Alberta Wildfire information officer Christie Tucker said the blaze remained out of control 害羞草研究所� the only such designated fire in the province 害羞草研究所� but it did not grow overnight and remained at about 200 square kilometres in size.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing rain and cooler temperatures in much of the province this week, but unfortunately the northern part of the province is expected to stay drier and warmer,害羞草研究所� Tucker told a news conference in Edmonton.
The blaze was still just under six kilometres from the southwest outskirts of the community and less than five kilometres from the main highway south.
The fire forced 6,600 residents in four neighbourhoods to leave their homes Tuesday.
Jody Butz, the region害羞草研究所檚 fire chief, said crews hoped to leverage the wetter, cooler weather to get a good grip on the fire.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e gracious with Mother Nature害羞草研究所檚 kindness,害羞草研究所� Butz told reporters.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檒l take as much rain as we can get.害羞草研究所�
Butz added, 害羞草研究所淪ome of you may be wondering if the rain in the forecast changes the date to return home to evacuated neighbourhoods. That date still remains the same.害羞草研究所�
Evacuated residents have been told they may be able to return after the long weekend. The rest of the city 害羞草研究所� about 61,000 residents 害羞草研究所� and other surrounding subdivisions remained under an evacuation alert.
Not far from most minds in Fort McMurray has been the 2016 wildfire, nicknamed The Beast, that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
On Thursday, the city害羞草研究所檚 court system was temporarily shut down and schools were closed. Some remaining residents said they have food and drinks stored away in case of a longer, larger evacuation.
But grocery stores were open and well stocked, with an abundance of toilet paper.
Restaurants, many of which closed Tuesday, reopened.
害羞草研究所淲e closed down for the initial day, just so all of our staff could look after their families,害羞草研究所� said Shelby Thompson of Montana害羞草研究所檚 BBQ and Bar.
害羞草研究所淲e opened the next day,害羞草研究所� Thompson said. 害羞草研究所淩egular hours.害羞草研究所�
At the city害羞草研究所檚 Peter Pond Mall, there was initial confusion about Tuesday害羞草研究所檚 evacuation order and stores shut their doors, said Shauna Hannam, the mall害羞草研究所檚 specialty leasing manager.
Many employees, fearing a repeat of the citywide evacuation eight years ago, 害羞草研究所渞ushed to get ahead of the game,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淔or a lot of people, it was history repeating itself: 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檓 just going to get my family out of here right now.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he next day, when half the city wasn害羞草研究所檛 evacuated, that害羞草研究所檚 when the confusion set in. People weren害羞草研究所檛 sure whether they were going to work.害羞草研究所�
Slowly, they are. Hannam said more than half the mall害羞草研究所檚 stores were open Thursday.
In Manitoba, about 675 people remained out of the remote northwestern community of Cranberry Portage and the surrounding area.
The province said the fire remained about 1.5 kilometres from the community. And while power and phone service has been restored, there was no official word on when residents might be able to return home.
The Manitoba and federal governments announced Thursday a deal to spend a combined $38.4 million over four years to boost firefighting and prevention.
The money, to be split evenly, is aimed at buying more firefighting equipment, boosting training, and increasing the number of skilled wildland firefighters and other staff.
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