FORT MCMURRAY, CANADA — Cooler weather and rain showers are giving hope to firefighters currently working to stop a huge fire raging through the Canadian province of Alberta.
The Globe and Mail reports that the wildfire began on May 1, southwest of Fort McMurray, the center of Canada's oil sands region. Hot, dry and windy conditions initially worsened the inferno, even as about 1,500 firefighters from across Alberta were trying to contain the blaze.
Officials estimated the fire to grow to about 741,000 acres and feared that it would spill over into neighboring Saskatchewan. Fortunately, the weather turned on Sunday, bringing a drop in temperature and light rain that helped keep the fire at bay.
According to CNN, the wildfire has consumed 395,000 acres of land, destroyed more than 1,600 structures and displaced about 88,000 people. No direct casualties have been reported, though two teens were killed in a crash during an evacuation.
The blaze forced half of Canada's oil production capacity offline, incurring a loss of about a million barrels per day, according to Reuters.
The massive natural disaster is set to become the most expensive in Canada's history, with an analyst estimating more than $9 billion Canadian dollars in insurance losses.
CTV reports that the Bank of Montreal adjusted its growth forecast for Canada's GDP in the second quarter to zero from 1.5 percent, citing "severe disruptions to oil production" as a result of the fire.
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