Repair crews yesterday were expected to assess wildfire damage to the Canadian energy boomtown of Fort McMurray as the oil sands companies surrounding the ravaged city looked at bringing production back on line.
Political leaders got their first glimpse of the city on Monday since wildfire forced 88,000 residents to flee for safety.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said they were encouraged by how much of it escaped destruction, estimating almost 90 percent of its buildings were saved.
Photo: AFP
However, the tour also revealed scenes of utter devastation, with blocks of homes reduced to blackened foundations, front steps and metal barbecues.
Notley said 2,400 structures had burned within the city, while almost 25,000 were saved. All schools except one that had been under construction were intact.
Notley credited the efforts of firefighters who battled the out-of-control blaze for days.
The fire, which was expected to grow further yesterday, ravaged about 204,000 hectares of Alberta, but it also moved far enough away from the evacuated town to allow an official delegation to visit on Monday.
Officials said it was not safe for residents to return, with parts still smoldering and large areas without power, water and gas.
Notley said repair crews will have weeks of work ahead of them to make the city safe.
She said she expected to be able to provide a schedule within two weeks for the return of residents, thousands of whom are camped in nearby towns.
The assessment by officials came a few hours after insurance experts revised sharply downward their estimates of the cost of damage from the blaze, which began on May 1.
Cooler weather, which has helped firefighters battling the blaze, was expected to linger through tomorrow, according to Environment Canada. Still, much of Alberta is tinder-box dry after a mild winter and warm spring.
“This beast is so big, we need rain to fix it,” Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said.
Oil sands firms, which have high fixed costs, are expected to work as quickly as possible to get production back online, but face the challenge of many staff and suppliers being displaced by the evacuation.
In one encouraging sign for industry, Royal Dutch Shell PLC on Monday said that it restarted production at a reduced rate at its Albian oil sands mining operation in Alberta, adding it plans to fly staff in and out.
However, Imperial Oil said that it completed a controlled shutdown of its Kearl oil sands mining project, blaming the uncertainties associated with logistics.
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