On May 1, 2016, a
wildfire began southwest of
Fort McMurray,
Alberta,
Canada. On May 3, it swept through the community, forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in
Alberta's history, with upwards of 88,000 people forced from their homes.
[12] Firefighters were assisted by personnel from the
Canadian Forces,
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, other
Canadian provincial agencies, and
South Africa to fight the wildfire. Aid for evacuees was provided by various governments and via donations through the
Canadian Red Cross and other local and national charitable organizations.
Sweeping through Fort McMurray, the wildfire destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings. Another 2,000 residents in three communities were displaced after their homes were declared unsafe for reoccupation due to contamination. The fire continued to spread across
northern Alberta and into Saskatchewan,
[14] consuming forested areas and impacting
Athabasca oil sands operations. With an estimated damage cost of
C$9.9 billion, it was the costliest disaster in
Canadian history.
The fire spread across approximately 590,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) before it was declared to be
under control on July 5, 2016. It continued to smoulder, and was
fully extinguished on August 2, 2017. It is suspected to have been caused by humans in a remote area 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Fort McMurray, but no official cause has been determined to date.
