DHAKA: A massive wildfire in Alberta, Canada, has moved south, forcing more evacuations.

The fire is now 85,000 hectares, or 850 sq km, which is larger than the city of Calgary.

It has grown five times its initial size since it broke out, prompting more than 88,000 evacuations.

The fire started on Sunday in Canada’s oil sands region and many oil sands projects have cut production.

The emergency operations centre has moved 300 km south and the evacuation order has widened as the flames spread past Fort McMurray.

There are still no known causalities from the fire but there was at least one vehicle crash with fatalities on the evacuation route.

Eight thousand evacuees currently in camps north of Fort McMurray will be resettled in southern urban areas, officials said on Thursday, the BBC publishes the report on Friday.

Alberta premier Rachel Notley said the fire is growing in size due to high winds but that it was ‘under control’.

Officials have not given a timeline for when people may be able to head back to their homes.

Scott Long of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency called the blaze ‘an extreme fire event’ and that rain would be needed to fight it.

Cooler temperatures and rain are forecast, giving hope that it could become easier to contain the fire.

BDST: 0515 HRS, MAY 06, 2016
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