Many evacuated Slave Lake residents are now being housed at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
Around 200 evacuees from the Slave Lake area were set up at the centre by mid-Monday afternoon.
"It's our whole life, it's tough because you get up and you think, 'oh I am just going to get up and go do this', and you can't...the other half isn't there you know," said Erin Olde whose Slave Lake home was destroyed by fire.
The city began setting up cots for evacuees around 2:30 a.m.
"It's horrific to see such devastation and the impact on peoples' lives," said Mayor Stephen Mandel.
The province says by the end of Monday, around 10,000 individuals from the region will be directed to various places of safety.
"Probably the largest evacuation undertaking in the history of this province," said Minister of Employment and Immigration Thomas Lukaszuk.
The centre can accommodate up to 300 people, but as many as 3,000 could show up. If that is the case, officials say more space will be made available at the Expo Centre for the evacuees.
"We ask anyone from Slave Lake that have found their way to Edmonton whether on a charter bus, or their own vehicles to please come by the Edmonton Exhibition Centre, to the reception centre to register," said Stephane Labonne with the City of Edmonton.
Evacuees are being provided with food, clothing, toiletries and blankets as well as medical aid, and counselling services.
The Edmonton Humane Society has also set up an emergency animal evacuation centre, currently housing 20 animals from the Slave Lake area.
The city is looking at other space within the Expo Centre to house additional evacuees. Officials say they are prepared to shelter evacuees at the centre for five days.
With files from Sonia Sunger
