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Alberta fireman: β€˜we lost half of the city’

The wildfire in the Canadian state of Alberta now covers an area of more than 700 square miles and is expected to spread.

Nick Waddington is a Fire Captain in the Fort McMurray Fire Department and has been fighting the fire since it began.

He tells Paddy O’Connell on Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme: β€œWe had one member stand at the end of his driveway, watch his house burn to the ground and put in an 18 hour shift.”

β€œIt’s mixed emotion, we lost half of the city but we also saved half of the city” he added.

(Smoke and flames from the wildfires near Fort McMurray Photo credit - Reuters)

8th May 2016

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Duration:

1 minute