Canada is asking for international help as wildfires continue to spread. “The situation in Alberta remains very concerning and dangerous,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in Ottawa.
An additional challenge would be the fact that many fires are also occurring in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Therefore, Canada is turning to “other countries – the United States, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand” and asking for their help.
In Alberta, the wildfires that have been raging since the beginning of May have already burned more than half a million hectares of forests and grasslands. Many residential buildings and businesses were reduced to ashes. About 2,500 firefighters from across the country and 400 soldiers are battling the flames in the province. 27 fires are out of control.
The western province of British Columbia has recently experienced fires, 15 of which were deemed out of control. In the Northwest Territories, thousands of people have been evacuated to safety due to fires.
“There is no doubt that the summer will be difficult and we will need help,” said Alberta emergency services spokeswoman Josee St-Onge. Because there are so many fires, it will take more than a month to put them out, “unless significant weather changes bring a lot of humidity.”
April was a very dry month in Western Canada. Record temperatures and strong winds have prevailed here since the beginning of May. Western Canada has been plagued by extreme weather conditions for several years. According to experts, their intensity and frequency are reinforced by climate change.
Source: The Delfi
