William and Kate visit Canadian town devastated by fire

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge broke with the schedule of their Canadian tour to meet survivors of a forest fire that devastated the small northern Canadian town of Slave Lake six weeks ago. The couple had intended to take a day's break from the tour after a week of hectic engagements before resuming in Calgary on Friday to attend the Alberta city's famous annual rodeo and stampede. But they went instead on Wednesday to the town, which suffered 80% destruction and the loss of 400 homes in May after winds are thought to have brought down power cables. The fire has been described as the country's second largest natural disaster and is estimated to have cost $750m. One helicopter pilot was killed during the rescue operation and a fireman was injured, but many residents, who had just an hour's notice to leave, have lost everything. The royal couple toured the worst damaged part of the area, seeing the ruined houses and wreckage of personal possessions and were visibly moved to meet survivors at the nearby Northern Lakes College. One, Janet Parks, originally from Yorkshire, who has lived in the area for 29 years, said: "I got out with a shoebox of belongings and my passport. That is it. It breaks my heart. People say you can buy new things but I just want my old stuff back. It brings me to tears." One volunteer ranger who met the royal couple said: "Their visit will have a wonderful effect on these people, to see that they cared enough to come and visit them and see the damage for themselves."