Wildfire destroys homes in Canadian city; delays hit evacuation

A flock of birds fly as smoke billows from the Fort McMurray wildfires in Kinosis, Alberta, May 5, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

WANDERING RIVER, Alberta (Reuters) - Convoys of evacuees stranded by a wildfire raging in and around the Canadian oil town of Fort McMurray made their way on Friday through the heart of the devastation on the only highway out of the region, as officials warned that the blaze could soon double in size.

Wind-whipped flames roaring through forests and brush parched by a spring heat wave have engulfed nearly 250,000 acres (101,000 hectares) in western Canada's energy heartland since erupting on Sunday.