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The oilsands industry that surrounds Fort McMurray is gearing up as Highway 63 reopened Tuesday with restrictions to funnel equipment, supplies and workers north through the city.

The wildfire that forced nearly 90,000 people from their homes a week ago continued to burn out of control to the east, joining with a smaller blaze to span 2,290 square kilometres of northern Alberta, 30 km from the Saskatchewan border.

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In a short video posted on Twitter Tuesday evening, Wood Buffalo fire chief Darby Allen struck an upbeat tone.

“We think we got this thing beat in McMurray. We’re looking pretty good. It’s still going south, and we’re still worried about our communities in the south a little bit, but we’ll get it,” said Allen, adding it’s not yet safe for residents to return to the city.

Emergency crews continued with painstaking repairs needed in the evacuated city. But with Fort McMurray out of immediate danger, Premier Rachel Notley met in Edmonton with 15 energy industry leaders to talk about the state of oilsands facilities and a timeline for mines, extraction, upgrading and in situ operations to get employees back to work.