Doug Stanglin, and Doyle Rice

USA TODAY

A still-raging wildfire, whipped by strong winds from a cold front that arrived Wednesday, destroyed 1,600 building and houses in the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray and drove out almost the entire population of 88,000 people.

The fire could rank as one of Canada's costliest disasters ever, said Steve Bowen of Aon Benfield, a global reinsurance firm.

It's the biggest wildfire evacuation in Canadian history, according to Bruce Macnab, head of wildland fire information systems at Natural Resources Canada. As of mid-afternoon Wednesday, the fire had scorched 25,000 acres.

Fort McMurray is the heart of Canada’s oil sands region. The Alberta oil sands are the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the city’s south side.

The fire destroyed 90% of homes in the city's Waterways suburb in the southeast and 70% in the Beacon Hill suburb in the south end, authorities from the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo said. In the neighborhood of Timberlea, flames destroyed a dozen trailers on one street alone.

The size and ferocity of the blaze forced firefighters to focus on saving critical infrastructure, such as the single bridge across the Athabasca River – the only way into the city from the south. The fire was so unpredictable authorities had to move the emergency personnel headquarters as flames closed in Wednesday afternoon.

The city was virtually devoid of human life as residents heeded Alberta Premier Rachel Notley's plea to evacuate. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Amid the mass relocation, hundreds of trucks, cars, motorcycles and mobile homes were forced to pull over as their engines choked with smoke or ran low on fuel, Fort Murray Today reports. Many drivers sat dazed, with others in tears. Police wearing breathing masks directed traffic and patrolled the highways with stocks of gasoline for stranded cars.

“This is a nasty, dirty fire,” Fort McMurray Fire Chief Darby Allen told reporters. “There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burnt, but this fire will look for them, and it will find them, and it will want to take them. Our challenge today is to try and prevent that and prevent any more structure loss.”

Brian Jean, the leader of Alberta’s opposition party and a resident of the city, said the fire destroyed much of downtown Fort McMurray, but the fire chief said there had mostly been spot fires that were extinguished, the Associated Press reported. “My home of the last 10 years and the home I had for 15 years before that are both destroyed,” Jean said.

Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister of the province’s forestry division, said the arrival of the cold front packing 15 to 30 mph winds meant a "more intense burning day," according to the Journal.

Feeding off dry conditions and high temperatures, the fire, which had largely hovered on the outskirts since the weekend, leapt into the city Tuesday, pushing flames into high-density subdivisions. Officials said as blaze stormed along a ravine and roared into the city, the race was on to get out.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said while the full extent of the damage isn’t yet known he called it “absolutely devastating.”

“We will be there for them,” Trudeau said, adding that the military mobilized aircraft to help fight the blaze.

Blistering heat exacerbated the fire Tuesday, as Fort McMurray, Alberta, shattered a 71-year-old record high, hitting 90 degrees. The old record for May 3 was 82 degrees, according to the Government of Canada. The average high temperature for the area at this time of year is in the upper 50s, according to weather.com meteorologist Tom Moore.

A very early spring and lack of snow has led to an unusually active year for wildfires across Canada so far this year, said Macnab.

So far, about 30,000 acres have burned in Alberta, including the 25,000 in this fire, he said. That's about 10 times the average for that province alone. Nationally, roughly 41,000 acres have burned across Canada, which is three times the average. Usually the peak months for fires in Canada are June, July and August, Macnab added.

“It's been quite an early start to the fire season,” he said.

As flames leaped over roads, and air tankers and choppers buzzed overhead, burning debris landed in the patch of bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to leave the city. “It became chaotic with vehicles trying to swerve and pull out into the ditch,” said resident Jordan Stuffco, the AP reported.

Shams Rehman, his wife and three children, grabbed the title and mortgage papers for their home in Fort McMurray, then jumped in their car and left, The Globe and Mail reported.

“There was smoke everywhere and it was raining ash. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said after his family reached an evacuation center in the resort town of Lac La Biche, according to the newspaper. “I just wanted to get out of that mess. I just wanted to get my family to somewhere safe.”

Medical staffers, who were moved to Noralta Lodge, 16 miles north of Fort McMurray, responded to a woman in labor.

Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake saluted the news on Twitter: “Time for good news. I hear a baby (maybe 2) was born tonight and delivered by @NoraltaLodge! Full service evacuation rocks! #bewellbabies”

Carol Christian’s home was in one of the neighborhoods under the order to leave. She said it was scary as she drove to an evacuation center with her son and cat, the AP reports.

“When you leave … it’s an overwhelming feeling to think that you’ll never see your house again,” she said, her voice breaking.

“It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping … up the hills where you live and you’re thinking, ‘Oh my God. We got out just in time.’”

Oil sands work camps were pressed into service to house evacuees as the raging wildfire emptied the city. Officials also evacuated non-essential staff at Suncor’s base plant 18 miles from the city.

Will Gibson, a spokesman for Syncrude, which has a plant north of the town, was himself one of the evacuees heading north away from the flames.

Gibson said he had to flee his neighborhood via a grass embankment because the fire had already cut off the road at both ends.“I left my neighborhood and there were houses on fire,” he said. “I don’t know if and when I’ll be going back.”