The entire city of Fort McMurray is evacuated and people have headed for safety.
Many people attempting to leave were left stranded on the highway overnight. Some had run out of gas and there was nowhere to fill up.
Officials fear the worst of the fire is not over. They’re expecting high temperatures throughout the week and there are no signs of rain.
In the Beacon Hill region, 80 per cent of houses have been destroyed.
Around 20, 000 of residents are expected to head to Edmonton to seek refuge.
Bill Elsner, Emergency Program Coordinator for the SCRD has some advice for people, if a similar disaster were to happen here.
He says they expects neighbours to help each other out, if they notice someone without a vehicle. And Coast FM will be live with updates as needed should such a situation arise.
According to the Red Cross on Twitter, the best way to help the evacuees is to donate money because it is more flexible.
The link to donate on the website is https://donate.redcross.ca.
You can also donate by texting “REDCROSS” to 30333. With a confirmation of “YES”, $5 will be added to your phone bill and donated to the Red Cross to help with the evacuees of Fort McMurray.
There has been a check-in system set up via Facebook to help find friends that have marked themselves as safe.
On http://www.ymmfire.ca/, people can offer up homes and beds to people displaced and people who need a place can apply to be matched.
