25,000 flee wildfires in western Canada
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Wildfires in the province of Alberta have forced 25,000 Canadians to flee their homes.
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A smoke column rises from wildfire EWF-035 near Shining Bank, Alberta, Canada, May 5, 2023.(Reuters)
Alberta, Canada, declared a state of emergency on Saturday after 103 wildfires raged throughout the province, forcing 25,000 people to abandon their homes in an "unprecedented" catastrophe, according to a top official.
Thousands more have been instructed to be prepared to evacuate at any time.
Little Red River Cree Nation was one of the worst-hit areas where the 1,458-hectare Fox Lake fire burned 20 homes and the area's police station.
The 7,000-people population of Drayton Valley, west of Edmonton, was ordered to evacuate on Thursday.
Just this year, 348 wildfires have occurred so far in Alberta, burning more than 25,000 hectares (62,000 acres), according to Christie Tucker, an information unit manager for Alberta Wildfire.
Premier Danielle Smith addressed a press conference following a meeting of her government's emergency management committee.
"We've declared a provincial state of emergency to protect the safety, health and welfare of Albertans."
Read next: World must brace for 30% more wildfires by 2050: UN
Smith had previously stated that the province, which is one of the world's major oil-producing regions, "has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires."
"These conditions have resulted in the unprecedented situation our province is facing today," she explained.
According to a federal government fire danger map, almost all of Alberta, which is in the midst of an election, as well as much of adjacent Saskatchewan province and vast swaths of the Northwest Territories, face high fire hazards.
Minister of Government Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair tweeted that Ottawa was ready to give government support if required.
A huge fire destroyed 20 dwellings, a basic shop, and a police station near Fox Lake, some 550 kilometers (340 miles) north of the province capital. Residents were evacuated by aircraft and boat.
According to a federal government fire danger map, almost all of Alberta, which is in the midst of an election, as well as much of adjacent Saskatchewan province and vast swaths of the Northwest Territories, face high fire hazards.
Western Canada has been regularly battered by extreme weather in recent years, the strength and frequency of which have risen owing to global warming.
Forest fires in Canada's oil sands area halted production and displaced 100,000 Fort McMurray residents in 2016, in addition to wreaking havoc on the country's economy.
More recently, in 2021, the westernmost British Columbia province had record-breaking summer temperatures that killed over 500 people, as well as wildfires that devastated a community. Then came disastrous floods and mudslides.
