Wildfires are slowly waning in Western Canada - DW - 05/11/2023

Wildfires are slowly waning in Western Canada – DW – 05/11/2023

Posted On: June 16, 2023

A lull in high temperatures brought some relief on Wednesday (10.05.2023) after wildfires in Alberta west of Canadaas reinforcements arrive to battle the flames.

A total of 76 wildfires remain active in the province, down from 110 a few days ago, authorities said. Twenty-three are still considered out of control

“Although there has been some rain in the last 24 hours, we remind everyone that the situation may change due to dry conditions in many parts of the province,” said Colin Blair, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, the main producing province. .Canadian oil.

reinforcements on the way

Several Canadian provinces and the US states of Oregon and Alaska have sent reinforcements to fight wildfires, which authorities say could flare up again over the weekend.

“We are very pleased to have new resources on the way from our colleagues across Canada and the United States,” spokeswoman Christie Tucker said at a press conference.

The number of people evacuated due to the impact of the fire fell to 24,000 from 30,000 last weekend, authorities said.

Indigenous populations affected

In the north of the province, some indigenous populations such as the Cree community and Little Red River have been deeply affected.

“There was a huge loss of infrastructure, no lives, thank God, but 4,000 people are being evacuated, over 150 homes…have been destroyed or demolished,” said Patty Hajdu, federal minister of Indian Services.

“The fire risk has been reduced due to firefighting efforts and climate change,” Yellowhead County said in a statement.

However, he warned that “fires may be active in the area”.

Officials said firefighters have made progress in southern and central Alberta, where cooler temperatures and higher humidity have slowed the fires.

However, they insisted that fire danger remains high in many parts of northern Alberta as high temperatures are expected to return later this week.

jc (affp, Reuters)

Canada: fires and floods hit the country

“Unprecedented situation”: More than 100 wildfires are raging in the West and floods are affecting other parts of the country.

Image: Alberta wildfire/REUTERS

This plume of smoke is from a forest fire near Lodgepole, in the province of Alberta, in Western Canada. Authorities said 107 fires were active in the province as of the weekend. 28 of them could not be checked. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith declared a state of emergency on Saturday (6.05) due to the “unprecedented situation”.

Image: Alberta wildfire/REUTERS

Canada is experiencing a hot and dry spring: forest fires are favored by temperatures which, in some places, exceed the usual average by up to 15 degrees. Wind and drought are helping the flames spread: More than 375,000 hectares of land (an area roughly the size of the island of Majorca) have already burned in Alberta, authorities said.

Image: Alberta Fire Department/The Canadian Press/AP Photo Alliance/Photo

They are not on vacation, but take refuge on the outskirts of Drayton Valley in central Alberta. People camp in caravans. The 7,000 inhabitants of the small town had to leave their homes over the weekend because of the forest fires. In total, nearly 30,000 people were evacuated to Alberta.

Image: WALTER TYCHNOWICZ/AFP

“A few sparks are enough”

A police vehicle blocks a highway near Drayton Valley. All resources must be used to tackle the “unprecedented crisis”, Smith said. The situation is delicate: “A few sparks are enough to start terrifying fires. Strong winds and high temperatures are expected to continue over the next few days and weeks.

Image: WALTER TYCHNOWICZ/AFP/Getty Images

“Difficult and extreme conditions”

There were isolated showers over the weekend in southern Alberta. “This allowed firefighters to move into areas they hadn’t been able to approach before due to extreme fires,” an Alberta Bushfire Protection Agency spokeswoman said, but in the north “the difficult and extreme conditions continue”.

Image: Alberta Wildfire/Handout/REUTERS

Province in state of emergency

People fleeing the fires can register and receive food at this evacuation center in Edmonton, Alberta’s provincial capital. Some of those affected were brought to safety with rafts or helicopters. According to Smith, there are thousands of other Canadians called to prepare for an evacuation.

Image: Jason Franson/dpa/The Canadian Press/picture alliance

In other parts of Canada, the problem is not fire, but water: in neighboring Alberta, British Columbia, record temperatures melted snow so quickly that rivers overflowed at some locations. Heavy rains and melting snow also caused flooding in Gatineau (image), in eastern Quebec.

Image: Images by Spencer Colby/Zumapress/imago

Hundreds of fires since January

Western Canada has been affected by extreme weather events for several years. There have already been more than 360 wildfires this year, “significantly more than in previous years,” said Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfires. According to researchers, global warming is increasing the intensity and likelihood of wildfires. extreme weather events.

Image: Alberta Wildfire/Handout/REUTERS