The Fort McMurray fire is growing further and could spill in to neighboring province of Saskatchewan, Canadian officials say.
Hot, dry and windy conditions are hampering efforts by hundreds of firefighters to tackle the blaze.
The blaze has already caused the evacuation of 80,000 people from the oil city of Fort McMurray, and thousands are still stuck to the north.
Their evacuation, originally planned for May 7, will now take place on May 8.
Photo Reuters
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said: “In no way is this fire under control.”
The wildfire now covers an area of more than 700 sq miles, which includes areas still ablaze and areas already burnt.
It was being propelled by high winds to the north-east towards Saskatchewan.
Smoke from the fire has already spread there, and air quality statements have been issued for both Saskatchewan and North-West Territory.
“Fire conditions remain extreme,” said the Alberta Emergency Management Agency on May 7.
There is the possibility of rain on the next days, but officials say the fire can only be put out by sustained heavy rains.
Earlier this week, most evacuees headed south but some fled north, sheltering in work camps beyond Fort McMurray.
Thousands have since been shuttled out by road and air, with small convoys passing through the fire-ravaged city on May 7.
The blaze has ruined entire neighborhoods, with residents warned it could be some time before they can return. Officials say the power grid is damaged and the water not drinkable.
As much as a quarter of the country’s oil production has been halted by the fire, raising concerns about the effect on the Canadian economy.
A Canadian teenager has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder after shootings in Saskatchewan province, police say.
The boy – who cannot be named because of his age – is also charged with seven counts of attempted murder.
Four people were killed and several injured after the shootings at La Loche Community School and another location.
The January 22 attack in the remote community was “every parent’s worst nightmare”, Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau has said.
At a news conference on January 23, Grant St Germaine from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the suspect would appear in court next week.
“The days and weeks are going to be difficult as we come to terms with the impact of what has happened in our community,” he said.
“It’s a sad and difficult time and no words will take away the pain and sorrow of what has happened.”
The RCMP said Dayne Fontaine, 17, and his brother Drayden, 13, were shot dead in a house.
The gunmen then went to the school, killing teacher Adam Wood, 35, and 21-year-old teaching assistant Marie Janvier, the daughter of acting mayor Kevin Janvier.
The suspect was later disarmed and arrested. The motive behind the shootings is unclear.
Witnesses at the school described screaming and more than half a dozen shots.
The RCMP said officers were called about “an active shooter” at 13:00 local time and detained the suspect 45 minutes later, Canada’s CBC reports.
About 900 students attend La Loche Community School for kindergarten through to grade 12 (the last year of high school).
La Loche is a mainly aboriginal community of about 3,000 people.
Four people are dead and at least critically injured after a school shooting in the western Canadian province of Saskatchewan, police say.
They say a male suspect is now in custody and children have been moved to safety after the shootings at La Loche Community School and another location.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier that five people had been killed, but this was later corrected.
The school shooting was “every parent’s worst nightmare”, Justin Trudeau said.
“The community is reeling.”
Photo CBS
Justin Trudeau, who was speaking in Davos, Switzerland, also praised “the first responders who acted quickly and bravely”.
Witnesses at the school described screaming and more than half a dozen shots.
Kevin Janvier, acting mayor of La Loche, said that his 23-year-old daughter Marie, a teacher, was one of the victims at the school.
He also said police had told him that the gunman first shot two of his siblings at home and then made his way to the school.
At a news conference, Maureen Levy, a senior officer at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said: “There’s no risk to public safety at this time. This is truly a tragedy.”
Maureen Levy provided no further details.
The RCMP said officers were called about “an active shooter” at 13:00 local time and detained the suspect 45 minutes later, Canada’s CBC broadcaster reports.
“Words cannot express my shock and sorrow at the horrific events today in La Loche,” Brad Wall, the premier of Saskatchewan, said in a statement.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their families and friends and all the people of the community.”
About 900 students attend La Loche Community School for kindergarten through to grade 12 (the last year of high school).
La Loche is an aboriginal community of about 3,000 people located nearly 550 miles north of the provincial capital, Regina.
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