Fort McMurray ( ) is a population centre , technically classified as an urban service area , in the Regional Municipality ( RM ) of Wood Buffalo in Alberta , Canada . It is located in northeast Alberta , in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands , surrounded by boreal forest . It has played a significant role in the development of the national petroleum industry . A severe wildfire in May 2016 led to the evacuation of its residents and caused widespread damage
severe wildfire
2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
Fort McMurray