- Numerous forest fires have spiraled out of control in the Canadian province of Alberta.
- Almost 29,000 people have now had to leave their homes, and 31 of the 108 active forest fires are out of control.
- According to the authorities, more than 375,000 hectares of land have burned down so far.
Despite rain showers and falling temperatures, the fires are spreading in western Canada. In the meantime, more than 375,000 hectares of land have burned down in the province of Alberta, and more than 29,000 people have had to leave their homes, the authorities said on Sunday afternoon (local time).
Cooler temperatures and higher humidity expected
31 of the 108 active forest fires are out of control. The province of Alberta declared a state of emergency on Saturday evening due to the extent of the fire. The head of government of the province of Alberta also published the declaration of emergency on Twitter:
This will allow federal funds to be released to fight the blazes.
The recent rains have helped with the firefighting, said Christie Tucker, chief of the Alberta Wildfire Fire Protection Agency. “This gave the firefighters the opportunity to work on some of the fires that they couldn’t get to because of the extreme nature of the fires.” Cooler temperatures and higher humidity are also expected in the next few days. She also asked for help from the neighboring US state of Montana.
The authorities said it was not yet possible to estimate the extent of the damage. Colin Blair, director of Alberta’s civil protection agency, said protecting lives and dealing with emergencies is a priority, according to broadcaster CBC.
According to the authorities, there have been more than 360 fires since January. This is an exceptionally high number given that May has only just begun. In 2016 Alberta had already experienced huge fires, at that time more than 2400 buildings were destroyed.