Toronto, May 3 (EFE).– Canadian authorities on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of large parts of the city of Fort McMurray, some 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) northeast of Toronto due to the danger posed by forest fires in the vicinity.

The city, home to more than 60,000 people, many of them immigrants, is one of the country’s petroleum centers.

The forced evacuation affects thousands of people and is causing serious problems on the roads leading out of the city, according to local KAOS radio, which added that scenes of panic have been witnessed in Fort McMurray. EFE

On Wednesday morning, Canada’s public radio broadcaster issued an update on the situation:

The regional hospital was evacuated, the Clearwater Trailer Park was reduced to smoldering rubble. Neighbourhoods like Thickwood, Dickensfield, Timberlea, Wood Buffalo, Waterways, empty and exposed to the fire’s destruction.

The Canadian Red Cross has made an appeal for emergency donations as the massive evacuations continue and families are left homeless.

Even after the entire city was evacuated, firefighters were nowhere near keeping the fire under control, although a natural firebreak was protecting the buildings in the city’s downtown district.

Most residents evacuated to the north, where the oil field shelters are located. These camps filled up very quickly, prompting evacuees to head to Edmonton and other cities. Gasoline stations along the way ran out of fuel, a situation that left many families stranded on the highway.

Witnesses explained that at least one gas station in Fort McMurray exploded. The flames from that incident reached a nearby hotel and restaurant, which were consumed by the fire in minutes.

The Canadian Forces are standing by to assist with airlifts and firefighting support if needed.