‘Monumental efforts’ preventing major damage to Fort McMurray airport, other city infrastructure

[View of Fort McMurray International Airport taken Wednesday./NAV CANADA]

The wildfire that has engulfed much of Fort McMurray has reached 85,000 hectares, but so far none of the major city infrastructure has suffered significant damaged, officials say.

The fire reached the airport on Wednesday night, but “monumental efforts” prevented major damage, Scott Long with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency told a news conference Thursday.

The airport received minor damage and remains open for limited use, Long said, but commercial flights are not going in or out.

Other critical infrastructure such as the hospital, water treatment plant and bridges also remain intact.

“The key issue is protecting infrastructure and the community,” Premier Rachel Notley said at the news conference.

On Wednesday, air tankers equipped with water bombs flew over the city to dump water and help protect some neighbourhoods and key infrastructure, Chad Morrison with Wildfire Alberta said.

As of Thursday morning the fire is spreading in the southeast corner of the city, but is moving away from the community, Morrison said.

There was some damage to buildings near the airport, but the main fire hall and airport terminal are unscathed.

The emergency headquarters set up near the airport was temporarily relocated on Wednesday to south of the city because of the spreading fire.

The hospital, and the only bridge crossing the Athabasca River are near the downtown area, which has escaped major damage. Downtown also contains Keyano College, the municipal building and major shopping facilities.

The water treatment plant is in the neighbourhood of Thickwood, where firefighters were focusing much of their protection efforts on Wednesday.

There have been approximately 1,600 structures damaged by fire, officials said Wednesday, but no update was given early Thursday because crews were focused on trying to contain the fire.