Massive Canadian wildfire
A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian province of Alberta, where a massive wildfire continues to ravage Fort McMurray, in the thick of the country oil sands region.
The blaze, which firefighters have nicknamed "The Beast," has destroyed about 620 square miles, nearly the size of Houston. Chad Morrison, Alberta's manager of wildfire prevention, said there was a "high potential that the fire could double in size" by the end of Saturday.
Pictured: Flames rise in an industrial area south of Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 3, 2016.
Burning Sunset
A massive wildfire, which caused a mandatory evacuation, rages south of Fort McMurray near Anzac, Alberta, May 4, 2016.
Aerial View
An aerial view of Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray, Alberta shows smoke from the wildfires taken from a CH-146 Griffon helicopter May 5, 2016.
"This is a highly dangerous situation," Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said on Saturday. He said the fire is feeding off the "extremely dry" boreal forest.
Fort McMurray
Smoke billows from the Fort McMurray wildfires as a truck drives down the highway in Kinosis, Alberta, May 5, 2016.
Aerial View
A Canadian Joint Operations Command aerial photo shows wildfires near neighborhoods in Fort McMurray, Alberta in this image posted on Twitter May 5, 2016.
Evacuation Center
Evacuees from the Fort McMurray wildfires use a hockey rink full of beds at the "Bold Center" in Lac la Biche, Alberta, May 5, 2016.
Alberta fire
Police officers work around a road block as smoke rises from a forest fire along the highway near Fort McMurray, Alberta on May 6, 2016.
Canadian police led convoys of cars through the burning ghost town of Fort McMurray Friday in a risky operation to get people to safety far to the south.In the latest chapter of the drama triggered by monster fires in Alberta's oil sands region, the convoys of 50 cars at a time are driving through the city at about 50-60 kilometers per hour (30-40 miles per hour) TV footage showed.
Canadian wildfire
Smoke and flames from the wildfires erupt behind a car on the highway near Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 7, 2016.
Fort McMurray
RCMP officers stand during a blockade in front of the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 6, 2016.
Firefighters
A plane flies low to dump fire retardant on wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 6, 2016.
Fort McMurray
A man takes a photograph of the wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 6, 2016.
View From Space
Smoke rises from the wildfire burning near Fort McMurray, Alberta in this image taken by British astronaut Tim Peake aboard the International Space Station May 6, 2016.
Fort McMurray
A helicopter flies past smoke from wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 6, 2016.
Canadian wildfire
Smoke fills the air as a police officer checks vehicles at a roadblock along Highway 63 leading into Fort McMurray on May 8, 2016 near Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Wildfires, which are still burning out of control, have forced the evacuation of more than 80,000 residents from the town.
Fort McMurray
People wait at a roadblock as smoke rises from wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 6, 2016.
Fort McMurray evacuees
After being stranded north of Fort McMurray, Michael Sadowsky kisses his cat Dexter as they were escorted through Wandering River, Alberta on Friday, May 6, 2016.
Drone fire-mapping
Mat Matthews, operations and safety manager with Elevated Robotic Services, and Ron Windmueller, owner of Droneology, pose with drones as smoke rises from wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 6, 2016.
Drones outfitted with infrared, ultraviolet and optical cameras will be used to investigate the cause of the wildfire, "fire-mapping" the blaze back to its source.
Fort McMurray
Two RCMP officers wear gas masks in the smoke from the wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 6, 2016.
Surveillance Camera
A combination of still images (beginning from top left), captured from surveillance video footage, shows the wildfire progressively engulfing the home of James O'Reilly in Fort McMurray, Alberta on May 6, 2016.
Wilfire devastation
A Mountie surveys the destruction on a street in Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 5, 2016.
Alberta destruction
Home foundations and shells of vehicles are nearly all that remain in a residential neighborhood destroyed by a wildfire on May 6, 2016 in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Wildfires, which are still burning out of control, have forced the evacuation of more than 80,000 residents from the town.
Destroyed by wildfire
Home foundations and the skeletons of possessions are all that remain in parts of a residential neighborhood destroyed by a wildfire on May 7, 2016 in Fort McMurray, Canada.
Destroyed by wildfire
Home foundations and the skeletons of possessions are all that remain in parts of a residential neighborhood destroyed by a wildfire on May 7, 2016 in Fort McMurray, Canada.
Charred bicycle
The remains of a charred bicycle sits in a residential neighborhood on May 6, 2016 in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Wildfire burns
A helicopter is seen through heavy smoke near a Royal Canadian Mounted Police vehicle as a large wildfire burns in and around Fort McMurray, Alberta, May 7, 2016.
Water
Rodney Howse gets water at a donation center established to help evacuees forced from their homes by the Fort McMurray wildfire on May 8, 2016 in Winding River, Alberta.
On Sunday, the wildfire had grown, but more slowly, to nearly 400,000 acres in size.
It rained on Sunday, and the municipality of Wood Buffalo (which includes Fort McMurray) tweeted a picture of a rain-speckled window and wrote: "It was only for a few minutes but the sight of rain has never been so good."
Fort McMurray evacuee
Della Joseph, a coach driver helping residents of escape the raging wildfires, breaks down while receiving a Mother's Day rose from a thankful Albertian while staying at a camp in Wandering River, Alberta on May 8, 2016.
Firefighting
Water is released from a helicopter hovering over a wildfire near near Fort McMurray, Alberta on Sunday, May 8, 2016.
Officials said Sunday they hoped to get a "death grip" on the blaze that devastated Canada's oil sands town of Fort McMurray amid cooler temperatures.
Canadian wildfire
Smoke from wildfires drifts across the night sky on May 7, 2016 near Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Canadian wildfire
Phillip McDonald, holding his 10-month-old daughter Ashley, gives a Mother's Day rose to his wife Valerie as they searched for necessities at a donation center established to help evacuees forced from their homes by the Fort McMurray wildfire on May 8, 2016 in Winding River, Alberta.
Canadian wildfire
Tara Payne with her sons Caleb (L) and Koltyn searches for necessities at a donation center established to help evacuees forced from their homes by the Fort McMurray wildfire on May 8, 2016 in Winding River, Alberta.