Thousands of residents in four neighbourhoods in the southern end of Fort McMurray were ordered out Tuesday as a wildfire threatened the Alberta city, bringing back memories of a devastating fire eight years earlier.

The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo directed residents in Beacon Hill, Abasand, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace needed to leave by late afternoon.

Regional fire chief Jody Butz said residents in the four neighbourhoods were being ordered out to clear room for crews to fight the fire, which had moved to within 7.5 kilometres of the Fort McMurray landfill.

B次元官网网址淲e have the resources to defend these areas but we need people out of harmB次元官网网址檚 way,B次元官网网址� he said during a news conference.

Butz said later in an update to the Wood Buffalo council that about 6,600 residents were covered under the evacuation order. About 68,000 live in the city.

An emergency evacuation warning remained in place for the rest of Fort McMurray and the communities of Saprae Creek, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray First Nation No. 468, Anzac and Rickards Landing Industrial Park.

Those residents have been told to prepare to leave on short notice.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not anticipating us to have another evacuation. But if the time does come, I ask that you listen to the areas that are being evacuated because there is thought and strategy behind that,B次元官网网址� Butz said at the council meeting.

The rural municipality declared a state of local emergency Tuesday afternoon, a move that allows it to access additional resources and powers under the Emergency Management Act.

It said later that accommodations were full in the community of Lac la Biche, a nearly 300-kilometre drive to the south. Evacuees were told to report to a reception centre in the city of Cold Lake, another 150 kilometres southeast.

In Edmonton, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told the legislature those displaced by wildfire evacuations would be eligible to receive $1,250 per adult and $600 per child after seven days.

In Beacon Hill, Suzy Gerendi, who runs the dessert shop Sugarmonkey Bar, said she was already packed up when the evacuation order came down.

Gerendi lived in Beacon Hill when fire overtook the area in 2016.

She immediately began the drive towards Edmonton with her three dogs.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very, very dark and orange,B次元官网网址� Gerendi said while driving.

B次元官网网址淚t brings up some memories, and itB次元官网网址檚 not a good feeling.B次元官网网址�

Residents were also dealing with heavy smoke and ash.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 dark. The smoke is everywhere,B次元官网网址� said resident Else Hoko.

Hoko picked up her two sons from school in Abasand after receiving the evacuation order.

She said the boys helped the family of five, including a baby, pack into a vehicle and drive out. She also fled in 2016.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 so stressed,B次元官网网址� she said, adding sheB次元官网网址檚 praying and asking for rain.

B次元官网网址淲e trust in God.B次元官网网址�

The 2016 fire destroyed 2,400 homes and forced more than 80,000 in Fort McMurray and the surrounding area to flee. The cityB次元官网网址檚 Beacon Hill and Abasand neighbourhoods experienced severe losses.

The current fire was nearly 210 square kilometres in size as of 7 p.m., nearly double the 110 square kilometres reported just three hours earlier.

It moved to within six kilometres of highways 63 and 881, the main roads south out of Fort McMurray.

Josee St. Onge, an Alberta Wildfire information officer, said wind was pushing the fire towards the community.

She said crews were pulled from the fire line for safety reasons, while air tankers and helicopters continued to drop water and retardant on the B次元官网网址渁ctive edges.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淯nfortunately, these are not favourable winds for us, and the fire will continue to advance towards the town until we see a wind shift,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淲e understand that this is a very stressful time for the community. I want to ensure we are doing everything we can.B次元官网网址�

Crews continued to build a fire guard to protect the city.

Butz said the municipality has an B次元官网网址渁bundance of resourcesB次元官网网址� and is well positioned to respond to the fire.

Mayor Sandy Bowman thanked residents for staying clam.

B次元官网网址淭his is a completely different fire but still brings back those same traumatic feelings (from 2016),B次元官网网址� Bowman said.

B次元官网网址淏e patient and caring with your neighbours, and weB次元官网网址檒l all work together to get through this.B次元官网网址�

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