Fort McMurray wildfire: a closer look at the community under fire threat

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – A look at Fort McMurray, the northern Alberta community in which several neighbourhoods were under an evacuation notice Tuesday because of a wildfire.

Location

Fort McMurray is 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton on Highway 63, just west of the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary.

READ MORE: Several communities evacuated as fire situation in Fort McMurray intensifies

Size

Fort McMurray is the largest community in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. A 2015 municipal census pegged the population of the region at about 125,000. The urban centre of Fort McMurray had just over 61,000 people, according to the 2011 federal census.

READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: Residents take to social media as situation intensifies

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Access

Highway 63 is the major route to the Wood Buffalo region. The fire, which started Sunday, jumped the highway Tuesday.

READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: Politicians, athletes react to emergency on social media

History

Fort McMurray was once a fur trading post.

READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: Flames erupt along Highway 63 during live Global News broadcast

Today

Fort McMurray is best known now as a hub for the oilsands industry, which is the top employer in the region. The industry has been hit hard by the downturn in the energy sector.