The government of the Canadian province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency due to the wave of fires that have been ravaging the Canadian province of Alberta, in the west of the country, for days, and which is passed this Friday to more than 100 active sources, of which more than a third are still out of control.

“After reviewing the current situation in the province and our response options, we are declaring a provincial state of emergency to protect the safety, health and well-being of Albertans,” said Provincial Premier Danielle Smith. , after a meeting with the Cabinet Committee for Emergency Management and which was collected by the Canadian media CTV News.

Smith and Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis reported that the declaration empowers the government in extreme situations, such as giving it access to emergency funds and better intergovernmental coordination.

“This is not a step we take lightly, but it is the one that will allow for the quickest and most effective response,” Smith explained, adding that “this measure allows for a more comprehensive response to extraordinary events. It also ensures that the center is complete and that our cross-border partners are informed.”

“As the current situation continues to evolve, I am confident Alberta is ready for whatever comes their way,” Ellis said. Additionally, the Emergency Coordination Center has been upgraded from Level 3 to Level 4 for a more comprehensive response.

More than 130,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to the fires, with the largest being in the town of Edson, with more than 8,000 residents, due to proximity to one of 37 homes that are still not contents.

Canadian government officials already consider 2023 to be one of the worst years for wildfires in recent memory: since January, there have been 363 wildfires that have burned at least 25,000 hectares of land.

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