Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate in four suburbs around Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray due to a large wildfire that is reportedly approaching the region.

The wildfire, raging due to tinder dry conditions and high winds, remains a persistent threat for the city in the western Canada’s Alberta since last week. The fire is just 13 km or 8 miles away to the south west.

Alberta Wildfire information Officer Josee St-Onge said the blaze grew significantly on Tuesday (May 14) and added that the winds from the southwest were going as high as 40 km/hr (24.8 mph).

“Unfortunately, these are not favorable winds for us and the fire will continue to advance towards the town until we see a wind shift,” she told an online media briefing.

“We are seeing extreme fire behavior. Smoke columns are developing and the skies are covered in smoke… firefighters have been pulled from the fire line for safety reasons.”

The fire has grown in size and is now more than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres), officials said.

Local authority said in a statement that residents in the suburbs of Abasand, Beacon Hill, Prairie Creek and Grayling had to leave by 4 pm Mountain Time (2200 GMT).

Earlier in 2016, a huge wildfire in Fort McMurray forced the evacuation of 90,000 residents and shut in more than a million barrels per day of oil output.

Besides, people in other parts of Fort McMurray who did not face evacuation orders, too began to leave, Canadian media reports say. 

Officials claim that Fort McMurray is better prepared to fight the fire than it was in 2016. 

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“This fire activity is very different than (in) 2016… We have an abundance of resources and we are well positioned to respond to this situation,” said regional fire chief Jody Butz.

Fort McMurray is the hub for Canada’s oil sands industry, which produces roughly 3.3 million barrels per day, two thirds of Canada’s total output.

(With inputs from agencies)