Canada: Extreme heat ignites more than 100 forest fires

The high temperatures have decreased somewhat, but there can be no talk of relaxation in Canada: More than 100 fires are raging in British Columbia. The army is on alert to aid local fire departments.

Persistent drought and high temperatures result in numerous forest fires in Canada and the United States. In the Canadian province of British Columbia alone, 136 fires were recorded, according to Cliff Chapman of the Wildfire Service.

There were 12,000 lightning strikes in one day. Most of the forest fires were triggered by it. After the record heat of around 45 degrees Celsius, the temperatures have now fallen, but are still above average, said Chapman.

Army on alert

Because of the fire, the army is ready to support the local emergency services. Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said after the meeting of a crisis team led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa, soldiers would be sent to various parts of British Columbia to provide logistical assistance if necessary.

“We will be there to help,” the prime minister said at a press conference. According to Trudeau, he has already spoken to the Prime Minister of British Columbia, John Horgan, as well as to mayors and leaders of indigenous people in the threatened areas.

1000 people fled the flames

The province of British Columbia, located on the Pacific Ocean, has been suffering from extreme heat and drought for days. The area around the city of Kamloops, 350 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, is particularly hard hit. Around 1,000 people have already fled the flames, many of them missing.

The town of Lytton, around 250 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, was evacuated on Thursday night when a fire spread rapidly there. The place was almost completely destroyed. Previously, a nationwide all-time temperature record of 49.6 degrees had been measured in Lytton.

Hundreds of dead

In British Columbia, the heat wave contributed to hundreds of deaths, according to authorities. Within a week, 719 sudden and unexpected deaths had been reported in the province – three times more than usual, the forensic medicine said. The authority assumes that the sharp increase is related to the extreme heat.

In the US state of California, hot and dry weather exacerbated the fire situation. Three larger fires burned in the north, causing thousands of people to flee at times. However, many residents were able to return to their homes on Friday. Several buildings in the rural region were destroyed, reported the “San Francisco Chronicle”.

The vegetation has already dried out as it is usually seen until the end of August, said a forest agency spokeswoman for the Shasta Trinity National Forest.