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Locals of Canadian oil town alarmed by wildfire can return home

Homeowners of the Canadian oil town threatened by an outofcontrol wildfire can return home, authorities stated Saturday, even as they alerted the neighborhood will need to compete with the blaze for the foreseeable future.

Thousands of citizens of Fort McMurray, in northern Alberta, had been purchased to leave their homes previously this month. But favourable weather made a return home possible.

With the current and projection weather, particularly the quantity of rain that has fallen on the fire, integrated with ongoing fire suppression and community protection efforts, I am pleased to announce it is now safe for us to end the existing evacuation and permit people to return to their homes, said Sandy Bowman, mayor of the Regional Town of Wood Buffalo that consists of Fort McMurray.

We thank all of you for your perseverance, resolve and strength.

Fort McMurray is the hub for most of Canada's oil output. An early start to wildfire season a year after a historically fiery 2023 left some remembering a destructive 2016 fire called The Beast that required the evacuation of 90,000 citizens, burned down 2,400 buildings and idled more than 1 million barrels daily (bpd) of production.

However while conditions are now beneficial and the neighborhood is not currently under risk, authorities cautioned they were not yet out of the woods.

The fire is not yet under control, said Alberta Wildfire info workplace Josee St-Onge. Fire behaviour will likely boost when sunshine and warm weather condition return, she included.

While it is safe for evacuees to return, locals will have to deal with an active wildfire near their neighborhood for weeks if not months. Bringing a wildfire of this size under control will take time and effort.

(source: Reuters)