Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Ontario: Toronto Mayor John Tory says the city stands ready to help northern Alberta battle a wildfire that has forced a full evacuation of Fort McMurray.
Officials say about 80,000 residents fled the area on Tuesday night as the wildfire crossed the area’s main highway and threatened multiple neighbourhoods, eventually reaching the city’s downtown area.
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed.
In Mississauga, Fire Chief Tim Beckett said they would consider any request made by the Ontario government for fire assistance, but have not yet received a request.
In Vaughan, fire officials said they were ready to send help if asked.
Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources says it will send 100 firefighters and 19 supervisory staff to Alberta. They are set to travel to the province on Friday.
The province says it has also offered specialized equipment such as seaplane water-bombers and helicopters to Alberta, but no equipment has been requested yet.
Ontario says its firefighters will be sent into the forests, not Fort McMurray itself. They’re heading out later this week so they can relieve crews that will likely be exhausted by the previous few days of battling the fire.
The province says it can spare the firefighters because Ontario’s forest fire season was “stable,” due to a long winter and wet conditions.
Toronto Fire Capt. Adrian Ratushniak says the city’s fire service is not planning to send people or equipment to Alberta for now.
