Raging wildfire spreads to more areas in west Canada

Updated: 2016-05-06 07:44

(Agencies)

Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) photo shows emergency response vehicles on the road near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada in this image posted on social media on May 5, 2016.  [Photo/Agencies]

Fire crews on the ground expect to receive reinforcements soon from other parts of Canada. Ontario will send 100 fighters Friday and Quebec has dispatched four air tankers.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday morning that the federal government will match all individual charitable donations to Red Cross relief efforts for Fort McMurray. Alberta has also pledged to match donations to the Red Cross.

Insurance companies are setting up temporary claims hubs and sending additional staff to Alberta as wildfires in Fort McMurray destroyed property in what could become one of the costliest natural disasters in Canadian history.

The damage could reach 9 billion Canadian dollars (about 7 billion US dollars) for insurers if it gets to the point that the town has to be rebuilt, an analyst at Bank of Montreal said Thursday.