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High temperatures in western Canada caused dozens of fires, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency, and forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. And according to what the province of Alberta announced on Saturday, dozens of fires are out of control. For years, western Canada has been witnessing recurring extreme weather conditions, which have increased in intensity and frequency due to global warming.
On Saturday, the Premier of the province of Alberta in western Canada, Danielle Smith, declared a state of emergency, following the exit Forest fires The area out of control, what push towards 25 Thousands of people to leave their homes, in an “unprecedented” situation.
“We have declared a state of emergency in the province to preserve the safety, health and safety of Albertans,” Smith told a news conference. The authorities have asked thousands of other residents to prepare to leave at any time. and scored a total 110 Fires, fanned by strong winds, a third of them out of control.
Smith explained that this Canadian province, one of the largest oil producers in the world, “has witnessed a hot and dry spring, and with many small forests, it only takes a few sparks to start really scary fires.”
All of these factors combined, she added, “led to the unprecedented situation our county faces today.”
It reported that approx 122 Thousands of hectares of land burned and evacuated 20 town.
Smith said the state of emergency gives the county government “more powers to respond to extreme situations,” including mobilizing additional capacity and releasing emergency funds.
A map released by the federal government says that election-period Alberta, a large swath of neighboring Saskatchewan, and much of the Northwest Territories are at risk of wildfires.
Among the towns that were evacuated was the “Drayton Valley”, with a population of 7,000, located in Alberta, about 140 kilometers west of Edmonton.
And in Fox Lake in northern Alberta, a large fire destroyed it 20 A house, a store, and a police station. Residents were evacuated by boat and helicopter.
France 24/AFP
