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 91裸聊视频� the only such designated fire in the province 91裸聊视频� but it did not grow overnight and remained at about 200 square kilometres in size.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙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,91裸聊视频� 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 region91裸聊视频檚 fire chief, said crews hoped to leverage the wetter, cooler weather to get a good grip on the fire.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e gracious with Mother Nature91裸聊视频檚 kindness,91裸聊视频� Butz told reporters.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檒l take as much rain as we can get.91裸聊视频�
Butz added, 91裸聊视频淪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.91裸聊视频�
Evacuated residents have been told they may be able to return after the long weekend. The rest of the city 91裸聊视频� about 61,000 residents 91裸聊视频� 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 city91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淲e closed down for the initial day, just so all of our staff could look after their families,91裸聊视频� said Shelby Thompson of Montana91裸聊视频檚 BBQ and Bar.
91裸聊视频淲e opened the next day,91裸聊视频� Thompson said. 91裸聊视频淩egular hours.91裸聊视频�
At the city91裸聊视频檚 Peter Pond Mall, there was initial confusion about Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 evacuation order and stores shut their doors, said Shauna Hannam, the mall91裸聊视频檚 specialty leasing manager.
Many employees, fearing a repeat of the citywide evacuation eight years ago, 91裸聊视频渞ushed to get ahead of the game,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淔or a lot of people, it was history repeating itself: 91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檓 just going to get my family out of here right now.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he next day, when half the city wasn91裸聊视频檛 evacuated, that91裸聊视频檚 when the confusion set in. People weren91裸聊视频檛 sure whether they were going to work.91裸聊视频�
Slowly, they are. Hannam said more than half the mall91裸聊视频檚 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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