Alberta Fire Set to Move From Oil-Sands Sites in Wind Shift
Wildfires raging through Alberta are set to move away from the main oil-sands facilities north of Fort McMurray after knocking out an estimated 1 million barrels of daily production from Canada’s energy hub. A cold front scheduled to pass through the area may bring light rain that would help fire fighters battle the inferno.
The blaze, which had been forecast to expand to more than 2,500 square kilometers (965 square miles), grew slower than expected and now covers about 1,600 square kilometers, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said at a news conference on Sunday. While the fire approached operations of Suncor Energy Inc., Canada’s biggest energy company, there was no damage as firefighters held the blaze southwest of the area. Current weather conditions and forecasts show the fire moving east, away from the site, Suncor said. Cnooc Ltd.’s Nexen operations to the south of Fort McMurray have suffered “minor” damage, said Chad Morrison, a wildfire manager for the Alberta government.
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