MONTREAL: New and intensifying fires are forcing the evacuation of thousands across Canada as the country battled out-of-control blazes that a provincial minister warned on Saturday (Jun 10) could last “all summer”.
Nearly 17,800 square miles (46102 sq km) have burned since the beginning of the year, well above previous averages as the country warms quicker than the rest of the world amid climate change.
The country’s west has been particularly hit. After several days of respite, fires intensified in Alberta, where on Friday night the town of Edson saw its second evacuation since May.
“The fire is so out of control that some forestry crews have had to back off,” said Luc Mercier, chief administrative officer of Yellowhead County, where Edson is located. “They can’t fight this fire.”
Speaking to broadcaster CBC, resident Hayley Waites said the evacuation of Edson took place in the form of an “enormous convoy” of people fleeing the town.
“When you’re panicking to go all out, all you think about is running away,” she said. “But as soon as you leave in the car, you ask: ‘What if my house is no longer there when I come back?'”
Source: CNA
