"Good news hasn’t been easy to come by at Alberta’s emergency management centre.

Each day last week, news seemed to get worse as the Fort McMurray wildfire kept growing, creating its own weather system, swallowing forests and forcing people to flee their homes.

Finally, on Sunday, there was some relief. For the first time, Chad Morrison with Alberta Wildfire allowed himself to smile.

Crews managed to limit the fire’s growth Saturday night and Sunday morning. Instead of a 2,500-square-kilometre inferno bumping up against the Saskatchewan border, as was feared Saturday afternoon, the blaze grew only a little, to 1,610 square kilometres.  

Last week saw hot, dry, windy conditions that served only to fan the flames, but by Sunday, cooler weather and showers began to turn the tide."

Emma Graney reports for the Edmonton Journal May 8, 2016. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Canada Hopes Cooler Weather Aids Battle With Alberta Wildfire" (Reuters) [3]

"Fort McMurray Wildfire Forces A Quarter Of Canada’s Oil Output Off-Line" (Toronto Globe and Mail) [4]

"Canada's Oil Output Spared Fire Damage Seen Able to Bounce Back" (Bloomberg) [5]

Wildfire Liveblog (CBC News) [6]