More than 375,000 hectares of land in Alberta have now burned, and more than 29,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.
Authorities in the Canadian province of Alberta said on Sunday that wildfires are spreading despite rain and falling temperatures.
More than 375,000 hectares of land in Alberta have now burned, and more than 29,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.
At least 31 of the 108 active forest fires were out of control late Saturday, prompting Alberta to declare a state of emergency. The declaration authorises the release of federal funds to fight the fires.
Christie Tucker, the head of the Alberta Wildfire Protection Authority, stated that recent rain had aided in firefighting.
“This has given firefighters the opportunity to work on some of the fire areas that they couldn’t get to because of the extreme nature of the fires,” she said.
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She predicted cooler temperatures and higher humidity over the next few days.
Tucker stated that “authorities had requested assistance from the neighbouring US state of Montana, and noted that the extent of the damage could not yet be estimated.
The priority, according to Colin Blair, director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, was to protect lives and manage emergencies.
According to authorities, since January, there have been more than 360 fires.
Sadly, experts warn that the climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of forest fires.
Also, the Office of Environment and Climate Change Canada says the average temperature in Canada’s western provinces has risen by 1.9 degrees Celsius since the mid-twentieth century.
