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Canadian Oil Companies Start Work Again Around Fire-Ravaged Fort McMurray

The highway through Fort Mac, in northern Alberta, has opened up to industrial vehicles, a little over a week after a mandatory evacuation due to a raging wildfire. It's not yet known when residents will be able to return to the city.
Rachel La Corte/AP

More than a week after wildfires forced nearly 90,000 people out of Fort McMurray, Alberta, the highway through the city opened up to industrial vehicles working to restart oil sands operations in the region, a sign that rebuilding and re-entry plans are moving forward. On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit the devastated city to assess the damage and discuss the federal government's involvement in recovery efforts.

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"We think we got this thing beat in McMurray. We're looking pretty good," the region's fire chief Darby Allen told reporters Tuesday evening.

More than 1,500 firefighters have been battling the blaze, with the help of 150 helicopters, and 28 air tankers.

Allen added that residents still won't be allowed in until it's completely safe. Even though slightly cooler temperatures and humidity have assisted firefighting efforts, the fire has spread to 229,000 hectares after two fires near Fort McMurray joined together. A province-wide ban on open fires remains.

"We gotta check the electricity, water, all that stuff, so we will get you back as soon as we can, we promise," Allen said.

But, it's unclear exactly when residents will be able to return — and in the meantime, universities and social housing agencies have offered longer-term accommodations for evacuees, while schools in Edmonton have opened their doors to children displaced from their classrooms. There are 13 evacuation centers open across the province.

During a guided media tour of the city on Monday, the government said that 80 to 90 percent of the city remained intact, but 2,400 structures have been burned to the ground.

On Tuesday, Alberta premier Rachel Notley met with executives from pipeline, oil sands and energy companies to discuss the future of the industry, which is expected to soon get back on its feet before the city of Fort McMurray itself.

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'We think we got this thing beat in McMurray. '

"This is an important step in the recovery of our people," Notley said during a press conference following the meeting. "We expect ultimately that many companies will begin to resume their production in the coming days and short weeks ahead." No pipelines were damaged by the fire, Notley continued.

According to the CEO of Suncor, no layoffs are planned for the company.

Shell restarted production earlier this week, but has been losing around $65 million in revenue per day after it was forced to shut down six operations.

The Red Cross is expected to announce on Wednesday how it will distribute the $60 million it has received in donations. And the provincial government will also discuss its plan to distribute debit cards — with around $1,250 per adult and $500 for each child or dependant — to evacuees.

On Tuesday, Trudeau told the House of Commons he would be visiting Fort McMurray on Friday to survey the destruction. He pledged the federal government would match all individual donations to the Red Cross.

"[I] congratulate the brave firefighters and first responders who have been there to do extraordinary work through these terrible blazes," said Trudeau. "I want to congratulate all Canadians who across the country came together to give incredibly generously to the people of Fort McMurray."

Follow Rachel Browne on Twitter: @rp_browne