The forest fires in Canada, according to official information last even longer. In the province of Quebec, the fight against the fire threatens to drag on “all summer”, according to the authorities. Most recently, more than 400 fires blazed in the country.
According to the authorities, the forest fires in Canada will continue for weeks. “We are facing a battle that we believe will continue throughout the summer,” said Quebec’s security minister, François Bonnardel.
“It’s the first time in Quebec’s history that we’re fighting so many fires and evacuating so many people,” the minister said. A total of 416 forest fires blazed in Canada on Saturday, 203 of them out of control.
Evacuation in the province of Alberta
In the province of Alberta, the situation worsened again on Friday evening after a few days of relative calm. Edson residents have been ordered to evacuate for the second time since early May. The fire was so out of control that some firefighters had to withdraw, said Yellowhead County Administrator Luc Mercier.
In the province of British Columbia, the town of Tumbler Ridge, which has a population of 2,400, was also largely cleared after a fire came within a few miles of the town.
Canada is experiencing wildfires of unprecedented proportions this year. More than 4.6 million hectares of land have been devastated by the flames since the beginning of the year, and tens of thousands of people have had to flee to safety. According to experts, climate change is leading to more and more violent forest fires.