The entire population of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, Canada, were forced to flee a raging wildfire engulfing their city.
Dash-cam captures the experience of one driver having to flee with 80,000 other residents as the fire moved from the outskirts into populated neighborhoods on Tuesday.
The Mirror reports:
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
The haunting video shows trees engulfed in flame, creating a towering wall of fire as the vehicles carefully edge forward seeking safety.
Firefighters combating the raging wildfires have described the situation as “catastrophic.”
The massive blaze has so far destroyed almost 2,000 homes in the country’s province of Alberta.
Over the last couple of days residents have been fleeing the area in droves, desperately running from a scene described as a “multi-headed monster.”
Some 80,000 people have already fled their homes, while thousands are still stuck in Alberta’s northern region.
Alberta’s Premier Rachel Notley said: “In no way is this fire under control.”
So far, more than 1,600 homes have been lost, but there have been no reports of deaths or injuries.
In spite of authorities ordering residents to leave everything behind, some have stood firm.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they found an elderly man and a family of five inside their home. They have now been taken to safety.
The cause of the wildfires is yet to be determined. Officials say it could have been sparked by someone who discarded a cigarette or it could have been a camp fire gone wrong.
Natural causes such as lightning are also being considered.
Chad Morrison, a senior Alberta fire official, told CNN: “There is a high potential that this fire could double in size.”
On Sunday, Nick Waddington from the town’s Fire Department, paid tribute to the tireless efforts from his firemen, some of who have also lost their homes.
He said: “We had one member stand at the end of his driveway, watch his house burn to the ground and put in an 18-hour shift.”
An area of more than 700 sq miles is now thought to be covered by the wildfire.
