Brianna White has watched her Canadian hometown burn from her Tampa apartment for the past few days.

"I'm not there, I couldn't do anything," White said.

  • Brianna White, 21, is from Fort McMurray, Alberta in Canada
  • Fort McMurray has been in the middle of a massive wildfire
  • More than 80,000 people - including White's parents - have evacuated

The 21-year-old college student is originally from Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. She moved to Florida last year to attend college. Her hometown is in the middle of an epic wild fire that caused more than 80,000 people to evacuate their homes -- including her parents.

"I was constantly calling and texting all my friends and family," she said.

Her parents were able to evacuate, but had to leave quickly.

"My mom said she grabbed a plastic tote and just took all the pictures that she could off the wall and just put them in there and put them in the car," she said.

Many of White's childhood memories are gone.

Brianna White grew up riding horses at the Clearwater Horse Club in Fort McMurray. The club burned down during the wildfires.

"The biggest part of my life was the Clearwater Horse Club, which is completely burned down," she said. "I pretty much lived out there growing up."

She said people had to ride their horses out of the barns to get them to safety -- there was no time to get them into a trailer and on the road.

"One of my past horse instructors had to ride her horses from one side of the city to the other," she said.

For now, her parent's house is untouched, but her friend's haven't been so lucky.

"I'm just completely devastated and heartbroken," White said. "Friends that I grew up with, their homes are completely burnt down."

She said she is unsure when her family can return -- and if the house will stay safe.

"You never really know, because the wind could change and it could come back," she said.

Canadian officials said the blaze has covered almost half a million acres and will continue to grow. About 1,600 homes and business have been destroyed and entire neighborhoods wiped out. There are no reported deaths or injuries. Officials said the wildfire could burn for months.

The Red Cross is collecting donations for those impacted by the fires. Each individual donation will be matched by the Government of Canada.