Near Fort McMurray, Alberta (CNN) Authorities in Alberta are getting a depressing handle on the burning of Fort McMurray, where a catastrophic wildfire forced the flight of more than 90,000 people and torched an area half the size of Rhode Island.

Nearly 10% of the city has been destroyed, including at least 2,400 structures, a spokesperson for Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said.

Authorities are anticipating a return in at least two weeks for people whose homes were not damaged. But they can't move back now.

"Today this city is not safe," Notley told reporters on Monday.

The weather is starting to cooperate a bit. The blaze is headed to sparsely populated areas. And firefighters from across Canada are suiting up to join the battle.

But the fire is still 0% contained and burning "out of control," the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry department said.

"We may be turning a corner, but it's too early to celebrate," said Ralph Goodale, federal minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. "This beast is an extraordinarily difficult problem."

Families torn apart

Melissa Gallant, who sent her two children thousands of miles away to stay with relatives in eastern Canada, said she believes this situation is "going to be traumatic for everyone.".

JUST WATCHED Video shows home burn from Fort McMurray fire Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Video shows home burn from Fort McMurray fire 01:40

"I just put them on a plane and told them that I loved them, and that I was going to see them as soon as I could figure it all out," Gallant said. "They asked how long it would be, and I just told them that I didn't know."

Gallant said she wanted to spare her children, ages 7 and 12, the trauma of seeing their hometown of Fort McMurray charred.

"I want my kids to come back to normalcy," Gallant said. "Not ground zero."

Fort McMurray fire: Before and after

The 32-year-old evacuated to Lac La Biche, about two hours away. But she insisted on staying in Alberta province, with or without a house.

"When we go back, there's going to be lots to do. We have a city to rebuild," Gallant said.

Smoke from #Alberta fires now covering vast areas of North America across to Atlantic coast. #ymmfire pic.twitter.com/UUDQtAwU5k — Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) May 8, 2016

"If my house is standing, then there's rooms for others who maybe aren't so fortunate. If my house is gone, I need to know that, too."

Hope on the horizon

The Fort McMurray wildfire has already torched 400,000 acres. But that's far better than the roughly 500,000 acres officials feared would be gone by now.

CNN Map

"We're very happy we've held the fire better than expected," Alberta fire official Chad Morrison said. "We hope to see continued success over the next few days. For us this is great firefighting weather."

The slowdown of the fire is the best news shared by Canadian officials since the fire started May 1.

Record-high temperatures that scorched northern Alberta last week will dip to below average and stay in the mid-50s through Thursday, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

Inferno moves east

The wildfire charred vehicles across Fort McMurray

The blaze is heading east toward Saskatchewan province.

"We're working closely and collaboratively with the Saskatchewan government to assist them with their preparations," Notley said.

Luckily, the path is sparsely populated -- unlike the Fort McMurray area.

Notley said she will visit Fort McMurray with some journalists to assess the devastation.

"There will be some dramatic images coming from media over the next couple of days," she said.

Extreme hospitality

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When Gallant tried to evacuate from McMurray, she drove through what looked like "a wall of fire" to Lac La Biche. What should have been a two-hour drive turned into an eight-hour nightmare.

Exhausted, she pulled up to a cottage belonging to the owners of the Ford dealership where she works. Gallant asked if she could sleep for a few hours in their driveway.

"They said, 'We already have bedrooms here waiting for you,' " Gallant said.

At one point, the cottage owners had about 17 people staying with them.

"The true heroes in these stories are the people who aren't out there telling about it," she said.

Help from near and far

Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Remains of burned homes are seen in a neighborhood in Fort McMurray, Alberta, on Friday, May 13. A massive wildfire has forced more than 88,000 people from their homes. Hide Caption 1 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Remains of a building stand in the neighborhood of Abasand in Fort McMurray on May 13. Hide Caption 2 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Burned trees dot the landscape in Fort McMurray on May 13. Hide Caption 3 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and Fort McMurray Fire Chief Darby Allen look over the devastation during a visit to Fort McMurray on May 13. Hide Caption 4 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Charred remains of homes are seen in Fort McMurray on May 13. Hide Caption 5 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A police officer looks over a destroyed building in the Abasands neighborhood of Fort McMurray on Monday, May 9. Hide Caption 6 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Burned ground surrounds a sign welcoming visitors to Fort McMurray on May 9. The wildfire began Sunday, May 1, and had torched nearly 617,800 acres as of May 10, according to Alberta's Wildfire Management agency. The cause of the blaze was unclear. Hide Caption 7 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Remains of a burned-out house sit near intact homes in Fort McMurray on May 9. Hide Caption 8 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Smoke fills the air as a police officer checks vehicles at a roadblock along Highway 63 leading into Fort McMurray on Sunday, May 8. Hide Caption 9 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Rodney Howse gets water at a donation center on May 8. The center was established to help evacuees who were forced from their homes by the wildfire. Hide Caption 10 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A ball of flame rises behind abandoned vehicles on Highway 63 near Fort McMurray on Saturday, May 7. Hide Caption 11 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Foundations of homes are all that remain in parts of a residential neighborhood in Fort McMurray on May 7. Hide Caption 12 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Skeletons of patio furniture are seen on May 7. Hide Caption 13 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A helicopter helping with the Fort McMurray wildfire takes off from a staging base near Conklin, Alberta, on May 7. Hide Caption 14 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Remains of a home in Fort McMurray are seen on May 7. Hide Caption 15 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Charred vehicles sit in a heavily damaged residential neighborhood on May 7. Hide Caption 16 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Smoke and flames create a dramatic sunset near Fort McMurray on Friday, May 6. Hide Caption 17 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A huge plume of smoke from the wildfires rises over Fort McMurray in this aerial photograph taken on May 6. Hide Caption 18 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate The remains of a swing sits in a residential neighborhood destroyed by the fire on May 6 in Fort McMurray. Hide Caption 19 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A plane drops fire retardant in Fort McMurray on May 6. Hide Caption 20 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A police helicopter lifts off through dust and smoke on May 6. Hide Caption 21 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Drivers wait for clearance to take firefighting supplies into town on Thursday, May 5, outside Fort McMurray. Hide Caption 22 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police surveys wildfire damage in Fort McMurray. The RCMP tweeted the photo on May 5. Hide Caption 23 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Tyra Abo sits on a cot at a makeshift evacuation center in Lac la Biche, Alberta, on May 5. Hide Caption 24 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A woman picks through donated clothing and goods at a makeshift evacuation center in Lac la Biche on May 5. Hide Caption 25 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate The wildfire moves toward the town of Anzac on Wednesday, May 4. Hide Caption 26 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate People camp out at a beach south of Fort McMurray on May 4. Hide Caption 27 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Evacuees watch the wildfire near Fort McMurray on May 4. Hide Caption 28 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Traffic is at a standstill on Highway 63 south as residents flee the wildfire on May 4. Hide Caption 29 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate Robert Parker, left, and Matt Jones siphon gas from two snowmobiles for their truck on May 4. Hide Caption 30 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate A helicopter flies past the wildfire in Fort McMurray on May 4. Hide Caption 31 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate The wildfire rages through Fort McMurray on Tuesday, May 3. Hide Caption 32 of 33 Photos: Wildfire forces Canadian city to evacuate The wildfire burns through northern Alberta in this image released by NASA on May 3. Hide Caption 33 of 33

The mammoth blaze has posed a colossal challenge to firefighters,

Firefighters from as far east as Quebec and New Brunswick will join the battle this week. At least 700 firefighters are on the scene and 300 more are on the way, officials said.

Fifteen helicopters and 14 air tankers are on the scene.

Across Alberta, strangers donated clothing and shoes to those who lost their homes.

Gallant said the outpouring of support has made the ordeal much more bearable.

"We appreciate all the prayers, all the donations," she said. "It certainly doesn't go unnoticed in a time of need."