Almost all of Alberta and much of the neighboring province of Saskatchewan face extreme fire risks.
Alberta has announced a state of emergency as wildfires erupt in the Canadian province, forcing 25,000 people to flee their homes in what a senior official said was an “unprecedented” crisis.
Thousands more have been told to be prepared to leave at any moment as the number of fires, fanned by strong winds, rose to 110.
A third of the fires were classified as out of control.
“We have declared a provincial state of emergency to protect the safety, health and well-being of Albertans,” the province’s Premier, Danielle Smith, said at a news conference Saturday after a meeting of the committee of your government’s emergency management.
Earlier, he said the province, one of the world’s biggest oil-producing regions, “has been experiencing a hot, dry spring, and with so much firewood, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some really scary bushfires.” .
“These conditions have resulted in the unprecedented situation our province is facing today,” he said.
According to Smith, more than 20 communities have been evacuated and at least 122,000 hectares (301,000 acres) have burned so far.
The declaration of a state of emergency gives the Alberta government “greater powers to respond to extreme situations,” he said, including mobilizing additional resources and unlocking emergency funds.
Nearly all of Alberta, in the midst of an election, and much of the neighboring province of Saskatchewan, as well as much of the Northwest Territories, face extreme fire risks, according to a federal government fire danger map.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair tweeted that Ottawa was ready to provide federal assistance if needed.
Oil sands facilities closely monitored the hazards, but none reported production disruptions.
Drayton Valley, with 7,000 residents, about 87 miles (140 km) west of Edmonton, was among the communities evacuated as firefighters battled a wildfire.
About 550 kilometers (342 miles) north of the provincial capital, a raging fire consumed 20 homes, a general store and a police station in the Fox Lake community.
Residents were evacuated by boat and helicopter.
In the city of Edson, which has a population of more than 8,000, residents were also ordered to “evacuate immediately.”
In recent years, extreme weather has struck western Canada repeatedly, increasing in intensity and frequency due to global warming.
Wildfires in Canada’s tar sands region in 2016 disrupted production and forced 100,000 residents out of Fort McMurray, hitting the nation’s economy.
More recently, in 2021, the westernmost province of British Columbia suffered record summer temperatures that killed more than 500 people, as well as wildfires that destroyed an entire city.
That was followed by devastating floods and landslides.
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