The catastrophic wildfire that broke out on Sunday and has forced all 88,000 residents to flee Fort McMurray in western Canada grew tenfold on Thursday, cutting off evacuees in camps north of the city and putting communities to the south in extreme danger, The Guardian reports.

Canadian officials evacuated 8,000 people from work camps north of devastated Fort McMurray by air on Thursday and hoped to move thousands more via a highway convoy on Friday if it is safe from a massive wildfire raging in Alberta that has grown to 210,035 acres.

The Alberta government declared a state of emergency and said more than 1,100 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers were fighting a total of 49 wildfires, with seven considered out of control.

Photos: Reuters