The mass evacuation of Fort McMurray is one of the largest abandonments of a city in Canada.
Thousands of people filmed the flames devouring homes during the rush out of town.
Many people waited until the fire was on the edge of their property before leaving, and there were countless close calls as embers and hot ash dropped on buildings, vehicles, and people.
Residents have told CTV News they knew about the fire on Monday, but were preparing their homes to shelter evacuees.
Instead the winds shifted on Tuesday and the fire spread to the east, engulfing the city.
Eden Boutilier realized on Tuesday afternoon she wasn't safe.
"I could actually see the flames over the buildings from my balcony," she recalled. "All of a sudden, it was just coming from every direction."
Boutilier said she hastily left her house with her roommate's dog, the clothes on her back and some food items around 3 p.m.
It would be another eight hours before she'd make it to a hotel in Edmonton.
"On the highway there were fires on both sides of the road. We saw the Super 8 Hotel burning to the ground," she said. "It was really the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my life. It's devastating."
Tim Perteet said he was "one of the late stragglers" to evacuate Fort McMurray.
"I left downtown at 1 a.m.," on Wednesday he told CTV's Canada AM . "There were not many people left, not many cars on the road."
While on the bus filled to capacity with fellow evacuees leaving downtown, Perteet said there were fires on the road and some buildings engulfed in flames.
"We lost some nice structures, hotels," he said. "There were quite a few fires you could see along the road as you're leaving."
