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Terrifying dash cam footage shows true reality of Canada wildfires

Harrowing dash cam footage has emerged of one man's experience from inside his car as he tried to escape the terrifying Alberta wild fires, along with 80,000 people.

Michel Chamberland, a resident of Fort McMurray, had to evacuate the Beacon Hill neighbourhood and his dash cam picked up a frighteningly detailed view of the situation.

The fire is seen burning across the road from homes. Photo: YouTube
The fire is seen burning across the road from homes. Photo: YouTube

He posted the footage on his Facebook page and it has shocked audiences around the world.

The scene outside the 25-year-old’s car was like one out of a film showing the full horror of the fires unfolding in front of them.

Chamberland told The Canadian Press: "I wasn't sure if all this traffic was going to make it out. It was moving pretty darn slow and the flames were just getting bigger."

The residents of Fort McMurray line up trying evacuate the town. Photo: YouTube
The residents of Fort McMurray line up trying evacuate the town. Photo: YouTube

The sky is dark and air filled with thick black smoke, huge fires, high rage at the side of the road which is lined with homes and trees.

Embers fall from the sky like rain as thousands of drivers line up in panic to flee the fire ridden region at about 2pm on Wednesday.

Cars are just metres from fire. Photo: YouTube
Cars are just metres from fire. Photo: YouTube

The monster blaze has swept across Alberta’s oil sands region driven by strong winds and hot, dry weather.

Alberta premiere Rachel Notley said people evacuated from Ft McMurry faced a long wait to return home.

The sky goes orange in the harrowing video. Photo: YouTube
The sky goes orange in the harrowing video. Photo: YouTube

Some 4000 who fled to the north of the city were in danger of becoming stranded have been airlifted to Edmonton and Clagary, Notley said, adding that the hope is to airlift 8000 to safety by the end of the day.

The damage from the blazes is major and there is no way to predict when anuy evacuees can go home, Notley said.


"Unfortunately, we do know that it will not be a matter of days,” she said.

The out-of-control blaze has burned down entire neighbourhoods of Canada's energy heartland and forced a precautionary shutdown of some oil production, driving up global oil prices.

Fire embers rain down from the sky. Photo: YouTube
Fire embers rain down from the sky. Photo: YouTube

Although the cause of the fire was unknown, officials said tinder-dry brush, low humidity and hot, gusting winds left crews unable to stop the flames.

The blaze, which erupted on Sunday, grew from 7500 hectares on Wednesday to some 85,000 hectares on Thursday.

"What people in that region have gone through in the last couple of days is literally hell on earth," Rona Ambrose, leader of the opposition Conservative Party and an Albertan, fighting back tears as she addressed the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa.

Evacuee Jason Blair said he only had enough time to grab a few belongings before driving north to a Canadian Natural Resources Ltd facility.

"For some reason I really wanted my son's first pair of shoes," he told CBC television.

An airlift of evacuees began from oil facility airstrips on Thursday.

Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but fatalities were reported in at least one vehicle crash along the evacuation route.