A wildfire burning 70 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray has prompted Suncor Energy to pull back all non-essential staff from its Firebag oilsands site on Thursday.
The wildfire, about 2,119 hectares in size, is approximately 70 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray, and 50 km from Fort McKay First Nation & Metis Nation.Thirty-six firefighters, nine helicopters, three pieces of heavy equipment and other staff are working on the Firebag Complex
“One crew is working to secure the perimeter of MWF047. Firefighters are working on areas of the wildfire that are closest to infrastructure,” reads a statement from Alberta Wildfire. “Other crews are working to extinguish smaller wildfires that are burning nearby.”The fire grew significantly Wednesday as it moved towards the south.
Airtankers arrived in the early morning to attack the wildfire from the air. A helicopter with night vision capabilities was used overnight.
Firebag is an in situ facility that produces 215,000 barrels of oil per day. It is staffed mostly with a transient workforce and the company’s website says there are typically 400 people at Firebag every day.
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