Fanned by high winds, scorching heat and low humidity, the fire grew from 75 square kilometers (29 square miles) Tuesday to 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) on Wednesday, but by Thursday it was almost nine times that — at 850 square kilometers (330 square miles). Canadian officials feared a massive wildfire could double in size by the end of Saturday as they continue to evacuate residents of fire-ravaged Fort McMurray from work camps north of Alberta's oil sands city. Alberta's oil sands region has the third-largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. About 2,500 vehicles and 7,000 people had passed through Fort McMurray on Friday despite a one-hour interruption due to heavy smoke, authorities said. Police said many parts of smoke-filled Fort McMurray are burnt and visibility is low.

Source: ABC News May 06, 2016 22:38 UTC