Officials in Canada have warned that the country is on course to endure its most devastating wildfire season ever, as warm and dry conditions are likely to remain throughout the summer.
Fires are currently raging in practically all Canadian provinces and territories, following an exceptional start to the fire season. According to government officials, there is an elevated risk of wildfires in most parts of Canada until August.
Michael Norton, a Natural Resources Ministry official in Canada, emphasized this year’s unusual spread of fires across the country. Fires typically occur on one side of the country at a time, primarily in the west.
However, the current situation is different, with fires spreading from coast to coast. Quebec, in eastern Canada, has been particularly heavily impacted, with many lightning-caused fires. Norton expressed concern about the rate of increase in the area burned, suggesting that record levels could be reached if this trend continues.
Wildfires in eastern Canada have been swiftly expanding, resulting to evacuations in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia and coastal portions of Quebec. In response to emergency forest fire orders, the Wallbridge Mining Company temporarily evacuated a gold project camp in Quebec and paused exploration work on its Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend Property.
Yan Boulanger, a researcher with Natural Resources Canada, stressed the extraordinary extent of burned regions found early in the season. Such widespread fires have not been seen in the last two decades. Boulanger ascribed this tendency, in part, to climate change, citing an increase in burned regions across Canada.
As of Sunday, approximately 3.3 million hectares of land had already been consumed by wildfires, which is about 13 times the ten-year average. The devastating fires have forced over 120,000 people to evacuate their homes temporarily. Besides the loss of property and homes, wildfires have impacted oil and gas production in Alberta, the primary crude-producing province, and caused air pollution in both Canada and the United States. Wildfires rank as the second most expensive disaster in Canada, surpassed only by flooding.
Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed sympathy for those affected by the wildfires, acknowledging the emotional toll of losing homes and cherished memories. Currently, there are 413 active wildfires, with 249 of them considered out of control. Approximately 26,000 individuals across Canada are under evacuation orders, and the situation remains alarming for many communities facing the devastating consequences of the ongoing wildfire crisis.