Evacuation orders issued as wildfire grows near Canada’s Alberta oil patch

A picture shows smoke rising from wildfire MWF017 on the south side of the Athabasca River valley near Fort McMurray in the province of Alberta, Canada, on May 10 [Alberta Wildfire/Handout via Reuters]

Authorities in the Canadian province of Alberta have issued evacuation orders for neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray, as a growing wildfire nears the community at the heart of Canada’s tar sands region.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on Tuesday afternoon gave residents of the Abasand, Beacon Hill, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace areas about two hours to leave their homes due to an approaching wildfire.